Avatar of Discord
by Omega Kyubi Crusader
Summary: Naruto's tired of being stepped on so he's decided to do something about it. With a few friends, three beautiful mates, a Demon Lord as his sensei and a double edged bloodline, watch as he brings a revolution to the Elemental Nations and introduces Konoha to Discord. Stronger/Smarter Naruto but not godlike. M for lemons, violence and adult content. NaruXHinaXTsunade!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay so this is my first fic….I'm not gonna say no flames because I've been on this site for a few months and I'll know you'll send them anyway. I'm just gonna ignore it. This gonna be a different type of story as you'll soon learn so keep calm….and Naruto!

**Disclaimer: Don't own this shit otherwise it wouldn't have been shit.**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"**Kurama talking"**

'**Kurama thinking'**

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 1**

**Discovery**

The dim setting sun loomed lazily in the auburn sky as it was view by few on this seemingly pleasant twilight. In this lazy sky of a tiring sun, there were languid clouds filled with moisture signifying their inevitable precipitation but this only added to the sky's splendour as the clouds themselves were dyed a shade of intoxicating orange that simply arrested the senses. Alas, the people of Konohagakure had little time to observe such a spectacular phenomenon. They had found, over the last eleven years, a far better recreational past-time to indulge themselves in. It covered all the criteria necessary to make any past-time in the ninja world they lived in enjoyable.

Aerobics…..

Superfluous violence….

Establishing a physical dominance over another lesser individual while covering one's own insecurities…

All seemingly necessary for enjoyment in the ninja world.

Said individual paid no heed to their retreating backs as they high fived each other. He paid no heed to his once vibrant golden locks matted with the crimson fluid he had become acquainted with ever since his third birthday, though he did wish that for once it would belong to someone else for a change. He tried his best to ignore the throbbing pain that exuded from his black eye, broken nose, broken left collar bone, dislocated right shoulder, broken tibia, eight broken ribs, pulled hamstring, twisted right knee, twisted left ankle and snapped Achilles tendon.

'What a difficult task.'

He chuckled mirthlessly as he realized that he couldn't count his injuries on his two hands seeing as he was pretty sure that two of his fingers were broken. But they would heal.

He could already feel his brittle bones realigning, his snapped tendons reconnecting, his skin stitching itself back together.

'They always did and they always do,' he thought with regret, 'Even when all I want to do is curl up and die, it always fucking heals!' He had always wondered as a child why his body did the things it did. He had always attributed it to some sort of hidden bloodline like the ones some of his classmates had. He had always told Iruka about his 'gift' but all his instructor ever did was look at him with a strange face and tell him not to worry.

But he did worry.

He worried because he had longed for so long to end his horrible existence. He knew that he wasn't a demon as the villagers called him so he knew that he wouldn't go to Hell. He had just grown tired of living. He had one person, Iruka, who didn't really care much about him. The Chunin never went out of his way to help him except for the occasional bowl of ramen but he stuck with the man because he didn't have much else.

Anyone else for that matter.

His classmates treated him casually; completely oblivious to the horrors he faced when he left the Academy. But why would they be when all he did was smile a hollow smile that deceived those around him to make them believe his life was satisfactory. He did this because he didn't want to rely on anyone for anything. But secretly, he knew that they wouldn't want anything to do with him once they knew how his life _really_ was.

'Guilty by Association I believe it's called.'

He painfully shifted his head to peek at his left middle finger which was bent at a grotesque angle as the bone threatened to break the skin. He had become most acquainted with it when he realised that it could be used as an insult to his tormentors.

Opening his dull azure eyes for the first time since the last kick was so gratefully administered on his near emaciated frame, he basked the warm glow of the sky. As if the sky sensed his plight, the first of many warm drops of water began to descend upon him washing away the blood on his thoroughly ripped orange jumpsuit. Even as the rain fell, the evening sky did not lose its beautiful hue as it coloured the raindrops yellow.

It was a wondrous sight he had ever seen.

'All I want is to die in piece…Is that so much to ask for?' he thought wistfully as the rain washed away his unnoticed tears and began their journey to the unforgiving earth where his coagulated blood had already begun to seep into the gutters. He didn't really register himself crying as he had cried so many times in the past. His spirit was broken. He had no one to act tough for so why try?

He had given up.

His resistance against the world was at its lowest.

His very humanity was threatened.

"**Finally…."**

Sensing his last defence lowering, another entity emitted a growl of victory inside of him. An ancient opportunist of the highest intelligence albeit a little insidious. This being sank its claws into his subconscious and started to draw him deeper in to his realm.

The blonde haired pariah felt his consciousness slipping and submitted himself to oblivion believing it was finally the end of his existence at long last not knowing how wrong he was. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a sewer. "That's odd. Is the afterlife a sewer?" he whispered to himself quizzically then shrugging "I must be in limbo." Satisfied with his dumbass solution, he started walking aimlessly. The three things he observed during his short journey through this supposed limbo was so that it was very bleak and depressing, his voice echoed throughout off the walls and that he seemed to know what direction to turn to instinctively.

As if his mind already knew where his body was going.

Wherever he was going, he hoped to have a thorough discussion with the whatever deity responsible for his life being so fucked up. Turning one last corner, he spotted the last thing he thought he would EVER see during an orientation. A large golden gate at least 2 times the size of the Hokage tower stood before him. It was covered in intricate designs that all led to a white piece of paper that was supposedly holding both sides of the gate closed.

"Fuck me…." The young boy whispered in reverence as he realised what it was "Heaven's Gate! I knew I wasn't a demon!" Looking around for the gatekeeper with a big book of names and finding none, our hero attempted to bang on it and make his requests known. "Oii hey Kami or whatever" he yelled brashly "I want my wings with golden tassels and shit!" 'Angel bitches love tassels I bet!' he thought stupidly.

"**ENOOOOOOOUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHH YOU PITIFUL UNDEREVOLVED MONKEY!" **yelled the legendary Kyuubi no Yoko, leveller of mountains, evaporator of oceans and prisoner within a preadolescent kid who was currently pissing him off. Said kid was none other than eleven year old Naruto Uzumaki, village pariah, public menace and former prankster. Raising his hands in an appeasing manner, Naruto spoke with placating disappointment still not understanding where he was "Yare yare I'll settle for silver okay?"

**"For the FIRST and LAST time, you AREN'T in HEAVEN!"** Kyuubi growled menacingly while opening his blood red slitted eyes of unholy repugnance leaking off immense levels of killing intent. "Then where am I then?" Naruto asked completely unfazed by Kyuubi's killing intent. Pausing a moment more, he begun again "And who the hell are you calling a monkey, you pussy-eyed bastard!?"

Taking deep breaths lest he kills his host and himself in the process, he spoke again **"Anyway, I am the Kyuubi no Yoko and this is your mindscape," **he spoke through gritted teeth.

Calming himself once more, he spoke patiently **"Are you familiar with the events that occurred on the night of October 10th about 11 years ago?" **As Naruto began, Kyuubi interrupted **"Other than your birthday that is?" **

Fumbling through his memory, he spoke "Iruka-sensei said something about a demon fox that killed a lot of people" Naruto paused "But if you're the Kyuubi then why are you in my mindscape? Didn't the Yondaime kill the Kyuubi?"

"**As if your Yondaime could kill a spiritual chakra construct. Of course he didn't kill me! He simply sealed me away into you so that I wouldn't destroy his **_**precious **_**village." **Kyuubi mocked.

"…..so you're the reason my life sucks so much…You're the demon everyone refers to when the beat me up." Naruto said to himself.

"**I guess you can look at it from that perspective…."**

"What other perspective is there to look at it from?"

"**Good point…" **

"So you're the one who's been healing me huh?" Naruto suddenly accused.

"**Yes and I'd appreciate it if you would stop killing yourself or getting yourself beaten to a bloody pulp anymore."**

"Won't you be free if I die?" Naruto pondered.

"**Yes but I'd be reborn as a mindless beast like my brothers and sisters and I'd rather not lose all of my accumulated knowledge."**

"That's great and all but it's not your life to decide to keep!" Naruto yelled before gesturing to his below average frame "And fyi, you should try defending yourself in this weak body against fully grown adults. Instead, the Kyuubi, a millennia old demon fox leaves an 11 year old to fight a battle that he's not qualified to fight!"

"**Wait a sec….you WANT me to fight against the village?" **the demon fox raised its non-existent eyebrows.

"Fuck the village. They're all corrupted scum who deserve whatever's coming to them. You can as you wish."

The Kyuubi found himself liking the boy more and more. Naruto's disgust for the village matched his own. The only thing was that Kyuubi didn't really hate the village.

'**Yes I hold the usual abhorrence to the village as I hold towards all humans but my grudge isn't against this village but towards a single individual…' **

The boy's eyes were world weary with the troubles he had faced over the years. The seal had been just loose enough for him to see the boy's life. The boy had endured hell for all those years against a village he was actually protecting. They had such little faith in the seal that tied him to the boy.

'**The very same seal that their beloved Hokage created.' **

But that was understandable. Being a demon, he had the distinct ability to sense corruption and malice wherever it was concentrated in the world and no place had more than in Konoha. The place was a breeding ground for evil.

But what he couldn't understand was why he hadn't felt anything coming from the boy.

The boy had, against all odds, remained pure. The proverbial misunderstood diamond in the rough.

In his studies of the Naruto's life, he began to feel something he hadn't felt in his entire life.

Empathy.

This feeling both bewildered and disgusted him. He had seen that dull look in his own eyes. It was shortly after his mother Juubi, Queen of Demons, had been divided into its nine parts by the Rikoudo Sennin had he been left with his brothers and sisters in a foreign world to fend for themselves. They were young with unparalleled power and after, the Rikoudo Sennin's passing, they had turned to him for a leader as he was the second strongest. But he was incapable of the pressure accompanied with such power and so he pushed them all away including his beloved Chomei/Nanabi. He had hurt her so bad with his actions that after all these years he still didn't believe that she would forgive him.

'**Even if I was to somehow escape this cage and kill that man who controlled me all those years ago, there's nothing waiting for me afterwards. My kin most likely share my fate of imprisonment so there's no one waiting for me. But this kid….I might be able to atone for my sins. I wasn't able to help his mother but I may be able to use him to do some good and help him in the process.'**

Out of all of his hosts, it was only with Naruto and his mother had he been able to experience human emotions on such a degree. He had come to understand what it meant to feel, to love and even protect. He still hated humans but he now understood that there were good ones in the world and this young kit was one of them. Seeing the boy struggle through life with near unbreakable resolve renewed his faith in the human spirit. But as he looked at the boy's emotionless face he feared he was a bit late.

**"So kit I bet you must hate me for the way your life turned out?" **Kyuubi inquired.

Naruto's dull blue eyes reflected a hint of confusion. "Why would I hate you?" he asked softly.

Now it was Kyuubi's turn to be confused.

**"I ruined your life?..." **Kyuubi asked more than stated.

"You didn't ruin my life," Naruto spoke impassively "this village did."

**"But I rampaged the village," **Kyuubi stated.

"But it is your nature, Kyuubi" Naruto stated reasonably, as if stating the weather, "you are an engine of indomitable destruction, chaos and blood thirst."

**"True but you must feel a HINT of hatred towards me?" **Kyuubi inquired not believing what he was hearing.

"I cannot blame you anymore than I can blame a snake for its slither or a cheetah for a speed" he mirthlessly chuckled at this, "I can however blame the civilians for treating me like dirt and keeping the kids from me, the teachers for holding back crucial information from me and my classmates for treating me like a clown. "

**'**_**Well he does dress like one**_**,' **Kyuubi mused inwardly, **'**_**time for the final test!**_**'**

"**Hey kit!"** Naruto looked up "**What would you do if you had ALL the power you could ever hope for and more?"** Kyuubi asked.

"I would live free and without boundaries and change this fucked up world to actually help people instead of ignoring their needs because they're different and I would find comrades to help me along the way. Actually, I already have a friend, if you could call him that" Kyuubi raised an eyebrow "his name is Sasuke Uchiha a-"A deep growl emitted from Kyuubi's throat

"Something wrong, Kyuubi?" he asked innocently.

**"No…." **Kyuubi held back in his bloodlust, **"Just continue your story."**

Oblivious to Kyuubi's anger, Naruto continued "Yea so Sasuke's entire clan was murdered about three years back and now all he does is train for revenge against the man who did it who was apparently his brother and my close friend, Itachi" Kyuubi smirked in victory at this.

"We bonded on the fact that we were both ignored, you know: Him by his father and me by everyone else" he smiled wistfully. "I finally had someone to relate to kind of like a brother…." Sighing, he continued, "When his clan was killed, he changed into something darker. All he thinks about is vengeance against his brother who I still think is innocent in this. I believe that by sharing this power with him we can both find Itachi and clear things up and also make sure that nobody else lives our fucked up lives."

'**Good enough for me!****' **Kyuubi agreed to himself **"Well then, I'll give you enough power to accomplish your silly monkey desires." **

A little bit miffed at this, Naruto questioned suspiciously "What's in it for you?"

**"Whatever you experience, I do as well therefore watching what you do with this power will add some flavour to my otherwise dull existence. Also, I want you to do all the things you said you want to. As my container, I expect you to hold on to your convictions. Understood?" **

Not one to be to stare a gift horse in the mouth, Naruto graciously accepted. He didn't really know what Kyuubi meant by 'holding on to his convictions' but he guess it was probably something that wasn't important. A bubbling of red chakra appeared in front of Naruto through the cage and manifested itself in the form of a contract and a pen.

**"Sign on the dotted line!" **Kyuubi said giving a feral grin. Feeling complete trust between them both, Naruto signed without quite knowing what TYPE of power he would be given and at what cost…..

"**All right first things first, rip off a piece of that seal so that we can do a little genetic tweaking." **

"Why?"

**"Because the power that I'm going to give requires it and also your body needs to handle power you'll acquire with time…" **

**'****As well as the enemies****,' **Kyuubi finished ominously **'I need to prepare him for all the trials he will inevitably face a****nd prepared he will be.****' **

"By the way, what's your real name?" Naruto inquired "I think that it'll be better for me to refer to you by your actual name instead of your impersonal title.

**"The TRUE God of Shinobi and not the pale imitation your Sandaime claims to be, Rikoudo Sennin-sama, named me Kurama." **

"Hai, Kurama-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed bowing for the first and probably the last time in his existence to another being.

**'****Kurama-sensei huh?****' **Kurama tried it out, "**I like that title, kit!"**

A/N: Tadow! How ya like me now! Chapter 1 fixed (I think). When fixing the chapters, I intend to remove some of the expletives, keep some stuff hidden to new potential readers, create a gradual and natural transition of events in the plot, fix the grammar and make the character interactions more realistic. Tell me how I did via PM but I'll prefer it if you just review so….

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay here's the next one. Has some fluff in it as I introduce Hinata but I guarantee that this won't be your regular romance. By the way, I've decided to make this REALLY lengthy. We're going up to the hundreds of thousands and I promise to make it worth your while!  
If it hasn't been made clear yet:  
"Talking"

'Thinking'

"**Kyuubi talking"**

'**Kyuubi thinking'**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. My favourite is actually One Piece (No Naruto-hating intended) though Naruto has more potential to be better than even DragonBall Z. A shame really…..anyway Enjoy!**

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter**_** 2**_

**Revelations**

Hinata Hyuga was not having a very nice day. At about 5:30 this morning, she had been roughly awakened by her father and had undergone intermediate Jyuken drills up until class time at the Academy for 8:00. Failing most of her stances and her execution being sloppy, she had no way of matching her titan of a father, Hiashi, or even bring herself to hurting her little sister, Hanabi. She had tried so hard to make sure that Hanabi didn't adopt the cruel Hyuga hubris that was responsible for their horrible clan's detached nature. But against her kind efforts, Hanabi continued to spend too much time with her father. His influence over the young impressionable girl was too high. He was her rock after the death of their mother Hitomi. Limping her way to class and back after a particularly hard strike on her left thigh, she was disappointed once more when the rock of HER life was absent.

_**Flashback begins…**_

_A six year old Hinata could be seen strolling through the playground as her attendant Branch house member secured the surrounding area. They were taking no chances, which was understandable with the incident with Kumo less than a year ago. All the kids in the playground were quickly pulled from the grounds to make way for her, which she couldn't understand. 'Don't they want to play to?' she questioned inwardly, 'There's enough room for all of us.' She didn't understand all these lessons her father tried to teach her about being superior. She didn't feel superior so why should she act like it._

_Leaving the playground to permit the other kids to play, she decided to have an adventure. Giggling to herself, she ran and turned the corner and found a spectacle that would begin an obsession of which would never wane. "Well fuck you then!" a blonde haired boy about her age yelled after being thrown out a building she recognised as the orphanage, "I don't need your sloppy ass poison you call food, I don't need your bed with those rusty ass springs and I-" his voice cracked a bit before he lifted his body off the floor and continued in a more calm voice, "I don't need your fucking death attempts either!"_

_Blushing profusely at the language he used, she paused to take in his words. They poisoned him, put him in a bed with rusty springs in his bed and made attempts on his life, seemingly daily, and there he was showing a middle finger through to the scowling head nun through the window. 'He must be strong!' she thought in wonder. He walked in her direction causing her to 'Eep' rather loudly and hide behind a nearby pole, alerting him of her presence. _

_"Oi you, what are you doing here?" he spoke to her loudly. _

_Almost fainting, she responded moving out from the pole slightly "Watching you…" she paused, "Why do they hate you so much?" _

_"Fuck if I know" he answered as he ran his hand through his dirty blond hair, causing her to once again blush at his profane language. 'He's pretty cute…' she thought as she stared into his cerulean orbs, her blush increasing. Noticing her attire, he asked "What's a rich girl like you doing in this Kami forsaken district?" _

_"J-just having an adventure," she responded shyly._

"_Adventure huh?...Just be careful. They're sick freaks all around that'll love to get their hands on a pretty girl like you." he stated._

'_He thinks I'm cute! Yatta!' she squealed inwardly._

"_Well anyway, I gotta go find somewhere to crash for…the foreseeable future" he sighed sadly to himself "See ya later."_

'_Mama says that when I find a boy you like, I should never let him out of my sights…Here's my chance!' she said to herself determined._

"_W-Wait!" she yelled making him turn back to her._

"_What? I don't have all day ya know?"_

"_W-What's your n-name?" she inquired._

"_Naruto….Uzumaki Naruto." The boy flinched expecting something._

"_Hinata Hyuga. P-Pleased to meet you!" she did a small curtsy (A/N a bow in which a lifts her skirt as the sides as means of greeting. A little British but it suits the social standing nonetheless. Not in the way you would assume for all those perverts out there.)_

_Reaching into her pockets, she grabbed her handkerchief and tried something she saw in a book on high class courting. She dropped it on the floor while looking at him expectantly. He looked at her carefully before shrugging and picking it up and pocketing it for himself._

_"Thanks!" he stated as he turned his back to her and left "Ja ne, princess!" Hinata face faulted as her attendant finally found her oblivious to what had left her in such a condition._

_**Flashback ends**_

Ever since that day and finding out his name, she stalked him as her confidence began to decrease after every training session with her father. Then her mother died leaving her defenceless both physically and emotionally against the horrible man her father was. Her training became even more rigorous she just wasn't making the advancements in Jyuken that were expected of her. But she couldn't help it as the Jyuken style just didn't suit her body. She had tried to tell her father only for him to increase her training. She later met Kurenai but her life still continued to be a horrible reality.

Except when she was near him.

She always felt like she could take on the world when she was around him. He was the light of her day whenever she felt low. But she didn't want to bother him with her presence. She simply didn't think herself worthy enough to be around him. The more she watched his trials, the more he dominated her dreams and aspirations. Her interest in his absolute resilience in the face of insurmountable difficulties had evolved into what she honestly believed to be love. She NEEDED him nowadays as her life had simply become too much to bear.

He was everything she wasn't and wished she could be.

But as of lately, his steel façade had begun to chip and she had noticed it. He spent more days at home than at the Academy which was understandable as no teacher besides Iruka cared for his education. He spent more days on the lone swing outside than in class when he finally showed up. She had stumbled upon some of his lesser beatings and saw that he had simply lost the desire to fight back. 'Why do they treat my love so badly?' she thought on despair. It ripped her heart to pieces to hear such things. Her rock, the being of which all of her interests revolved around had simply weathered too much to bear as she literally saw the will to live drain out of her life. She steeled herself on this evening to put it right back where it should be.

Bumping into a roaring crowd of people as she walked through Naruto's home district under her strongest Henge, she heard drunken mumblings of 'slayed the demon' and 'avenged the village'. 'Demon' was the epithet they referred to Naruto whenever they abused or talked about him. She realized who they were talking about and ran in the opposite direction 'No no no no no NO!' she thought in desperation as she pumped chakra in to her feet.

Then she found him. Her heart stopped. Her Henge faded. Her world shattered. She leaned against the cold alley walls as her long legs refused to support he petite frame anymore. Her perfect porcelain skin paled if such a thing was even possible. Her chest heaved as she struggled to take in oxygen at the most gruesome thing she had ever seen in her entire life. Her mind just couldn't comprehend what was going on. There, in the dark alley where the rats and cats roamed, laid a bloody and broken Naruto. Less than 10 feet away on the cold, unforgiving and dusty ground was HER Naruto. Something welled up within her. A feeling she once thought herself incapable of feeling.

Rage.

Her face contorted in a snarl as she turned in the direction the mob had left. "They're going to pay…..they're all going to fucking pay!" All her life she had been forced to accept things as they were. She let people take out their misdirected anger on her because of the family branch she was born into. She had always thought that if she behaved 'good' then things would resolve themselves. That one day, she would grow up and marry Naruto and that everything would be well. But as she looked over her shoulder her battered love, she finally understood that bad things happened to good people. 'Anything I want in this world, I'm gonna have to take it for myself and fuck those that stand in my way.' And with that realisation, a new Hinata was born on that day.

A better one.

'But first, I'll beat those fuckers for what they did to my Naruto!' she prepared to walk off but then heard something. In the stillness of the night, she could hear faint and raspy breathing. Turning around and running to his fallen body, she stooped and watched closely as his chest rose and fell slightly with the tell-tale sign of breathing.

'Life! He's alive! Thank Kami after all these years I shouldn't have doubted it. Naruto's indestructible!'

She reactivated her Henge with a single hand sign. She steeled her features to remain calm. There would be time for tears later. Reaching down, she checked his pulse. 'It's so faint…' she frowned. Pumping chakra into her arms, she lifted him bridal style as gently as possible, feeling bones that shouldn't move shift sickly under his blood-slickened skin. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun," she whispered to him lovingly as she took to the night air, "You're safe now. You'll always be safe….with me."

**Back in Naruto's Mindscape**

Kurama smirked knowingly sensing the events of the outside world.

**'What an interesting development.' **Kurama said inwardly.

Naruto reached for the seal and grasped it in his hand. Suddenly, a yellow flash signified the arrival of a new guest which promptly kicked him away. Landing on his back painfully, he grunted "What hit me!?"

Kurama growled knowing exactly their guest was. The man who had damned both himself and Naruto to such a horrid existence, Konaha's Yondaime Hokage and resident Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze.

"**What are you doing here, Namikaze?" **Kurama growled menacingly.

"You say something Kyuubi?" Minato said as he cleaned his ear with his pinky.

**"Curse you and your hip attitude Minato!"** Kurama yelled in obvious anger.

"Who the hell are you and why are you in my mi-" Naruto's eyes widened in realisation, "You're the greatest ninja who ever lived!"

Smiling, Minato then realised the time limit he had in the Impure World. "Naruto, I don't have much time so listen carefully," seeing his son nod, he continue, "First things first, do NOT open that cage be-"

"I wasn't gonna open it Yondaime" Naruto interrupted "I was going to loosen it so that Kurama would give me the power I need."

Lowering his head in disappointment, he unknowingly spoke to himself "Son, look how far you've sunk: A power seeker…"

"Whoa Whoa what did you just call me?" Naruto inquired unbelievingly.

"My son, don't you already know that?"

"No….." Naruto whispered as silence reined throughout the sewer.

**'Heavy…' **Kurama said inwardly.

"Kurama did you know?" Naruto asked the fox.

"**Yea. I know everything about your parents. Every annoying detail thanks to your mother."**

"And when were you planning on telling me about my mother?" Naruto asked disbelievingly.

"**After your transformation or even before. It was up to you really."**

"Didn't Sarutobi tell you? About me and your mother I mean?" Minato asked softly.

Hair shadowing his eyes, Naruto shook his head "I think I would know if Sarutobi told me something as important as that, don't you think?"

"I suppose that was to keep my enemi-" Minato tried to explain.

"Yea yea….Third Ninja War…Iwa bitches want revenge…I know about all that!" Naruto yelled tears streaming down his face "What I want to know is why me? Why would you put this burden on me?!"

"Because I couldn't ask another parent to sacrifice their child if I wasn't able to do the same. That and you were one of the only two children born on that night. Only a child's undeveloped chakra coils can take the extreme strain of a demon's chakra." Minato said softly.

"Who was the other?"

"Mitoko's kid. Umm I think she said she was gonna call him Sasuke." Minato rubbed the back of his head in concentration.

It was at this point that Kurama chose to count his blessings**"Thank goodness…"**

Walking to his son and pulling his resistant body into his chest, Naruto sobbed loudly. "Why Tou-san?" Naruto asked as his mouth muffled into his father's signature white cloak with red flames. Echoes of his despair filled the sewer as the waters churned violently. Even through this, Minato held his son not knowing the cause of his tears but trying to comfort him nonetheless.

Trying to preserve his time, he pulled Naruto away and squatted to look him in his eyes and find out just why his son was so distressed.

"Naruto," Naruto lifted his head "Why do you cry, son?"

"Why I'm crying?" Naruto repeated the words dumbly. Eyes filled with rage, he punched his father as hard as could, which actually wasn't very hard. His slight frame couldn't generate enough force to damage the titan that was his father.

"Do you know how much hell you put me through?!" Naruto asked infuriated.

Minato raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wha?"

**"Here,"** Kurama provided a white sphere of swirling images with one of his tails, **"Within that sphere is every beating, poisoning, hated glare and injustice your son has suffered for the last eleven years. Enjoy!"**

Minato looked at his son for confirmation.

"Do it….Dad," Naruto murmured the word still foreign on his lips.

And so Minato stuck his hand inside and felt the pain, the stabs, the burns, the stares, the punches, the kicks, the curses, his own bones crunching under his skin. Kyuubi laughed maniacally, **"Don't you realize what you did now, Namikaze!"**

Seeing Minato's shivering body on one knee, he continued, **"This is the life that you doomed you own son to live!"**

"**You overestimated your pitiful village and their human understanding and sympathy!"**

"**You saw how they treated your wife…how they treated anyone who holds my kin and you honestly believed Konoha would be different this time around?! How foolish can you be?"**

"I believed…..in the Will of Fire…..of the people…." Minato croaked pitifully as his body still twitched in pain.

"**Will of Fire?" **Kyuubi stated mockingly, **"There is no Will of Fire!"**

"**You** **human speak of this Will of Fire and then sit on your golden thrones and protect your own and do nothing for others!"**

"**Your own wife, Konoha's very own Red Death, died without a family, not because Uzushiogakure was destroyed, but because the very people Mito protected from me were jealous of her prodigious ability with seals! Tell him, Minato. Tell your son of this Will of Fire that gave her the same beatings he endured to this very day!"**

"Don't speak of my wife, you bastard!" Minato spoke with a deadly calm.

"**Or what you'll seal me again?!" **Kyuubi questioned mockingly **"That ship has long since sailed, monkey!"**

Turning to each other, Naruto's eyes asked for confirmation for Kyuubi's accusations and his father only nodded grimly. "I viewed the memory of Kyuubi's deal so there's no need to explain it." Pausing in sadness, he continued, "I died for this fucking cesspit even after what they did to my wife and now they do this to my only son…"

Seeing his body beginning to dissipate, he spoke "Naruto, I have failed the two of you in the worst possible way. I allowed the village to treat my wife after rising to the mantle of leader. I wasn't there to protect you in the way you needed most but I will do this!" Materialising a brush and ink in his two hands and dipping it carefully, his hands moved lightning quick began to create a new array of seals over the previous one.

"Kyuubi, can I…." Minato paused not believing what he was about to say "Can I trust you to take care of my child?"

Kurama answered his question with another **"Who else is going to? Of course I'll take care of the squirt." **

"The seal is built to allow both of your chakras to mix anytime Naruto's life is in dangers. What I just did was modify the seal quicken this process while keeping biofeedback to a minimum. It should also loosen a lot more to allow you a lot more freedom as well as watching over my son. Is that clear?" Minato spoke to Kurama

"**Yeah yeah I'll watch the kid. I was going to anyway." **Kurama affirmed **"Despite our grievances, I still hold respect for you as a warrior if nothing else."**

Turning back to his son, Minato's silhouette was now only visible, "Now son, you mustn't cry for I must return to the Shinigami's stomach where I will rightfully pay my sins"

"But dad I-" Naruto began as Minato kissed him on the head and ruffled his hair. "If you have any questions on your mother, ask Kyuubi. He probably knows more than I do. She was his previous Jinchuriki after all." The legendary demon lord snorted at this.

"I'll find a way to free you, Dad. I promise you!" He smiled at his son's naiveté.

"Find my estate son because I know you can become great from both your mother's and my own Family scrolls so keep them safe from that bastard Danzo. Am I clear?" Nodding eagerly as he saw his father's feet begin to fade, his tears ran down his face even faster at the thought of where Minato was going. 'Be strong. You're the son of a Kage so you must be strong.' Naruto thought with a fake smile.

"Get rid of that fake smile. I hate it." Naruto hung his head "Eat your vegetables; have a couple of grandkids for fuck's sake and Naruto?" Naruto's head bounced up, despair on his face, "Give them hell for your old man, ne?"

"I promise!" And with a wink, the Yondaime Hokage, Konoha's Yellow Flash, Disciple of the Toad Sannin, Sensei of Sharingan no Kakashi and by far his proudest title of all, Father and Loving Husband of Naruto Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, ceased to exist.

_**On the Outside with Hinata**_

Holding his body close to her own, she jumped on the rooftops towards the only person who could possibly help her. Kurenai Yuuhi. Her loving big sister, surrogate of course. You would think that a Genjutsu Master's worst nightmareand a Hyuga would be worst enemies.

But you would be wrong.

Kurenai was her best and only friend. Hinata thought that all the other girls her age were fangirls who swooned over the duck butt Uchiha and she was right. Kurenai was a nurturing woman who coached her through all her issues, from her rapidly growing body to her first time menstr- (A/N: You know what I mean. I don't wanna type it.) to her bastard of a father. Landing at the apartment door and releasing her Henge, she banged on the door. "Kurenai! KURENAI!" Hinata called out loudly.

Kurenai, sitting on her couch reading Konoichi's Monthly, got up and walked to the door. 'Hinata can't possibly be that loud?' she thought to herself. Opening the door, she saw the last thing she ever thought she would see. A bloody and distraught Hinata holding an equally bloody and beaten orange blob of Jinchuriki.

"What the fu-" gasping in realization, Kurenai scolded Hinata "Hinata, I told you it was perfectly normal to feel that way about Naruto but that was no reason to beat him to a pulp and rape him silly!"

Giving her mentor a withering glare, Hinata stated, "Really Kurenai? Is that really where your mind went from seeing this?"

"Well, look at him! He looks ravaged and you told me about that dream in the forest where Naruto was ru-"

"Can't you just stop and help me?" Hinata begged with a furious blush on her face. Taking Naruto from her and putting him on her couch, she questioned, eyes not leaving his fragile but rapidly healing body "So what happened to him?"

"Villagers…"

"Again?"

"Again."

Kurenai had been told all about this poor boy's beating of course by the village. She knew of his secret but decided against telling Hinata deciding that it would be his decision when she finally befriended him. Nobody died for her in the Kyuubi rampage, as her father had died on a mission after and her mother died of a broken heart afterward, but while she sympathized with their loss, she still found no reason for them to take out their anger on the poor kid. But what most fascinated her was Hinata's change as she stood by the couch. Her posture was more confident, her stutter completely gone and her unwavering gaze was one of longing and concentration on Naruto.

'Finding him like this must have shocked her so much that her mind changed drastically to cope with it,' she smirked 'About damned time! The kid's all right in my book'

Knowing that his wounds would heal thanks to his gracious 'tenant', she got up to find a trusted medic to clean him up. "I'll be right back. Keep the door locked and watch over him. Use your Byakugan to monitor his condition." Jumping through window, Kurenai descended into the night.

_**Back in his Naruto's Mindscape**_

**"You heard the man! Let give these bastards hell!" **

"So how are we gonna do this?" inquired Naruto now determined.

**"Your father modified the seal that the metamorphosis won't give you too many of my features" **

"Can you explain that for me please Kurama-sensei?"

**"Of course. So basically I'm going to give you a bloodline since this power will also be within your future kits" **

"Kick-ass! I'm gonna get super eyes" Naruto asked with childlike excitement.

**"No you won't. I won't have my vessel becoming overly dependent on his eyes like those arrogant Hyugas and Uchihas! You're getting something far better, if you ask me." **

"Spill it already!"

**"Alright, alright. You see, I'm going to give you one whole tails worth of chakra, which will integrate itself into your chakra coils causing a variety of changes to your body which, thanks to you father, won't give you my ears and tail. He reconstructed the seal so that it will leak its chakra as I leak my own thus making a synchronisation of the opposing chakras and minimizing the appearance of bizarre physical changes."**

"What kind of abilities will I get?"

**"Well, firstly, you have advanced sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste as well as ungodly stamina all of which will far transcend whatever those Inuzukas possess. Your speed and strength will be on a level of its own as my chakra will change your muscle structure making it far denser and coiled than that of a regular human while increasing your synaptic activity multiplying your reaction time several times over. You will also have access to the several types of demonic chi which I will explain later. My various demonic arts will be added to you arsenal. Added to this, both of your elements, which I sense to be wind and lightning, will be imbued with my demonic energies, making them ten times as powerful but also ten times as unstable. You shall be my Avatar of Discord! That reminds me. This power comes at a severe cost, but that depends on how you look….at….it?" **

Naruto had stars in his eyes while thinking of his abilities, "When do we start the metamorphosis?"

**"Anytime you want but kit you might want to listen to-"**

"Then what are you waiting for?! Let's do this!"

**"Sigh…You asked for this!"**

A tail of orange red chakra formed outside the golden gates as the seal, sensing this, shot a long blue tendril of chakra into Naruto's stomach. **"By the way kit, this is going to hurt A LOT!" **Kyuubi spoke with a bit of sympathy as his crimson tail shot in the boy's chest. "Now **he **fuck**ing** tells** MEE!**" Naruto grunted in pain as his tortured bloodcurdling screams echoes in his mindscape.

_**On the outside with Hinata**_

'What will I do if I ever lose him?' she though as she ran her hand through his hair. She could only hope that he won't scared by the severity of his feelings. She wanted him and she didn't even know what she wanted. Kami, this whole night was fucking with her. But it did put things into perspective. The profession they were training for didn't have the highest life expectancy and here she was wasting five whole years on something as dumb as her insecurities. Running her hand through his dirty, matted hair, she smiled know that this was a new chance for them. One she would not waste.

Putting him on her lap, she was met with a bloodcurdling scream from Naruto. Activating her Byakugan immediately, she was met with a sight she wished she understood. His large blue reserves of chakra, which had always intrigued her, started to expand. Entranced in this phenomenon, Hinata kept it monitored closely as some even more strange began to happen. The colour of his chakra began to change erratically. To her Byakugan, it was a light show.

Red then blue then red then blue again.

'How can chakra be red?' she asked herself as Naruto's screaming died down. Simultaneous, his chakra settle on a spectacular shade of midnight amethyst.

Believing the worst was over, she resumed her grooming. Only to be met by a content growl. Before she could figure out the source, the same dark purple chakra erupted out of him, crushing her into the couch and making him levitate towards the centre of the room while his screams resumed. A steady hum arrested her senses as everything around him was pushed away by some kind of unseen force. Turning off her Byakugan lest she be blinded, she could barely see Naruto as the dark coloured chakra had formed a shroud that obscured her view of him. She ran and closed the windows and curtains even though she was sure the ANBU would arrive soon due to the massive chakra output. This chakra definitely wasn't human but it was something more. It held no ill intent or evil towards her. It was just purely chaotic. She only wished to tame it just enough so it would give her Naruto back…..

A/n: Another one fixed so gimme reviews on the improvements made. I think it's awesome so review and stuff.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Third one coming at you hard ball. Longer than the usual and with good reason as you will soon read.

'Thinking'

"Talking"

'**Kyuubi thinking'**

"**Kyuubi talking"**

'_**Arashi thinking'**_

"_**Arashi talking"**_

The last two will be made clear as you read the chapter ;)

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Kishimoto does and is doing a 'great' job at this might I add!**

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 3**

**Awakenings**

Gouro Yakushi was finishing his work at the hospital. Ever since the departure of Tsunade all those years ago, he was slumped with the amount of work and expectations the Sandaime placed on his shoulders. He had risen to the occasion as was needed of him. He was cynical man who placed his work above many things and unfortunately his adoptive son, Kabuto, was one of them. He had placed the boy under the wing of Orochimaru years ago believing it to be a privilege to be the apprentice to the Sannin. He hadn't seen what his son was becoming until the White Snake had wrapped its coils around the boy's mind and by then it was too late. He knew Kabuto's missions were shady to say the least and that the boy's skills were at least low-Jounin yet he remained at genin level. But he just couldn't bring himself to file a report of inquiry into his son's activities not knowing the kind of things he could find out. 'Time for some Icha Icha and my cold empty house.'

Leaving his office, he was graced with the presence of one of his other children in everything but blood, Kurenai. "Kurenai, what can I do for you?"

"The prison has suffered another beating," spoke Kurenai mysteriously, "My house, let's go!"

Storming out the hospital, they took to the rooftops. "Think you can keep up Jiji?" Kurenai spoke over the whizzing night air. Doctor coat billowing in the air, Gouro responded with a smirk "There's still some speed in these old bones, Kure-chan"

'Why couldn't he always be like this?' she thought sadly.

But that was Gouro for her. She had set him up on countless dates but her friends just weren't compatible with him. Even Anko had said once "He should just go buy an engagement ring for his left hand. It's the only thing that'll ever want him" No matter how bluntly her best friend put it, he was simply too serious but she still held out on the hope that some lady would want him.

Gouro's mind was on his destination. 'Hope that kid's safe but then again with his advanced healing no matter the injury he should be safe until I arrive' As Kurenai's apartment came into view, they felt a pulse of chakra unlike anything they've ever felt before. It was neither evil nor good. It had no purpose but to disrupt the natural order of things and its power was ethereal.

Disturbingly so.

As the windows were closed, they knocked on the door.

"Hinata, it's me Kurenai!"

It was opened immediately revealing an awestruck Hinata. Her eyes were glazed and she leaned against the apartment door. "I…uh…you sh-"

"Hinata…" a deep rumbling voice spoke as a silhouette with piercing purple slits for eyes appeared behind her "Let in our guests. It'll be rude not to…."

_**5 minutes before Kurenai's arrival….**_

The power output has begun to die down as an entranced Hinata moved closer to it. Sticking her hand out to the purple veil, she felt as if it was caressing her very soul. Dying down at her command, she reached through it and ran her hand across what she believed to be a chest. The last of the chakra unknowingly seeped into her skin as Naruto was reveal to her. Or what she thought was Naruto. This couldn't be Naruto, could it?

Time stopped as she gazed upon the magnificence that stood before her. Standing at 5"4, was a muscular Atlas-like beast with a dark gold mane for hair that was far spikier than she remembered. His ears unseen by her as two long bangs with purple tips touched his jawline as two slitted orbs of amethyst purple gazed at her mischievously. His entire face looked ruggedly and undeniably erotic as a fang hung outside the barrier of his sinful lips. His once cute whisker marks were now even more pronounced. His strong frame was broad and coiled, tapered for warfare as it seemed to belong to a warrior many years older. Some kind of tribal black stripes crisscrossed his chest with a purple fox head insignia in the middle and an even stranger spiral mark on his abs. Muscles were to be found any and everywhere but not too much as his body looked surprisingly lithe. Upon his hands stood brutal looking claws which could rend flesh and bone in a single swipe. His once orange jumpsuit, covered in dirt and blood, hung off his body riddling her hormone filled body with desire. His walrus underwear somewhat visible now strained to contain a far larger appendage than what she saw in Biology class in the Academy. Blackish vapours of energy billowed of his powerful figure giving his body a strange glow.

Realizing her hand was still on his hard body that nearly scolded her hand; she quickly retrieved it, blushing furiously. An amused rumble signified his inquiry

"A little too late to act shy, ne Princess?" She blushed even deeper.

**"Kit, we'll have to talk about this new power a bit later, okay?" **

'Hai Kurama-sensei.'

Going back to sleep to recover his lost tail, Kyuubi yawned **'Creating a badass sure does take a lot out of you.' **

Focusing back to the present events while being completely unaware of his appearance, he raised an eyebrow "What are you doing here princess?" He looked around causing his jumpsuit to fall off of his body even more "And, not that I'm complaining, but wasn't I in that dusty alley?"

At this point, Hinata was beyond intelligible speech. 'Kami help me!'

The door suddenly was knocked upon followed by a call of "Hinata, it's me Kurenai!"

No longer trusting herself around this blond Adonis, she dashed across the room and opened the door to reveal Kurenai and some other person who she assumed to be the medic.

"I…uh…you sh-"

"Hinata….." Naruto walked up behind her "Let in our guests. It'll be rude not to keep them waiting…." Hinata snapped out of her trance and grabbed Kurenai who in turn grabbed Gouro who in turn shut the door. They stuck to the walls as the moved across the room as if Naruto was a raging fire. "Yare yare what's wrong with you three?" placing his hand behind his spiky mane of gold "I know I look a bit different but you all look as if you've seen a ghost?"

Kurenai had never seen a man attractive as this creature before her. Worst yet, that innocent look on his face made her feel so horny. It was like he didn't know what he was doing to her.

"Wait a minute…Naruto, is that you?"

"The one and only! Say, who are you and do you have any ramen up in here?" Holy shit, he really DIDN'T know what he was doing.

'If I didn't already have my eyes on Asuma….the things I would do…..'

"I'll go check for some in a little bit but Naruto?" he locked his slitted eyes with her 'Sweet Kami!'

"I think you should go look in my mirror." Walking across the room in long strides, he reached the mirror and checked himself out.

"WOAH! Kyuubi really outdid himself!"

"Kyuubi!? How do you know a-" Kurenai began but was interrupted by Naruto whose eyes darted to the door "We have company arriving soon"

Rushing to a window, Gouro spotted black shadows dashing towards the apartment 'ANBU.'

"Kure-chan, cover Naruto's presence in one of your three layered genjutsus. They might have a Hyuga amongst them." Going through three sequences of hand seals in rapid succession proved just why Kurenai deserved her title as Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress. Right before Hinata's eyes, Naruto disappeared.

'Whoa!' Hinata thought before jumping on the couch and pretended to read Konoichi Monthly. Gouro sat in Kurenai's recliner and pretended to be asleep while Kurenai performed one last two layered Genjutsu on Hinata to hide the blood stains on her and the couch beneath her.

Smoothing out her dress just as the Anbu knocked, she opened the door. "Hello Anbu-san, how can I help you?"

"There was a large chakra output of unknown origin coming from this residence. We feared it might have something to do with Kyuubi and have come to investigate."

Kurenai smiled. "Well as you can see, there's no Kyuubi and no large chakra source."

The Anbu were not fooled. "We wish to investigate."

Stepping back to permit entry, she lifted her hand to signify her permission. "Come on in."

Three Anbu entered the apartment. They spotted the Hyuga heiress sitting looking amongst them curiously and the head medic Gouro passed out with a bottle of sake in his hand. The first nodded to the on his right. "Bird, do your thing."

"Byakugan!"

Four people in the room held their breathed at the same time as the Anbu moved his head from right to left. "Clear." Four voices released their breath at the same time.

"What caused that disturbance, Kurenai?" Silence reined throughout the room.

"Don't know." Kurenai shrugged.

"Don't you know what's at risk here Kurenai?" The head Anbu eyes narrowed behind the mask.

"Why don't you refresh my memory?" Kurenai smirked innocently.

The Anbu knew that Kurenai mastery of Genjutsu could allow her to hide whatever went on here. At the same time, he knew he couldn't ransack the apartment of a seasoned jounin and get away with it. It was a stalemate. "This isn't over."

"You're absolutely right." Escorting them out of her door, she smiled at them and said "It is now" and promptly slammed the door in their faces. Sensing them gone, she released her genjutsus and Naruto dashed across the room and hugged her, crushing her petit frame. "Thanks a lot Kurenai-chan!" Kurenai skin colour changed to another spectrum of red and promptly fainted. Not because of his iron grip but because of his hot member against her thigh.

Sensing her limp body in his arms, he raised an eyebrow "Kurenai-chan?"

Getting up and taking her from Naruto, Gouro smiled "She's just tired."

Accepting the answer, he turned to Hinata "So Hime (Princess), what's your name again?" Calming her nerves and diverting her gaze, she smiled "Ano…..Hinata Hyuga"

"Pretty name. Ne, do you know how I reached in this apartment?" Nodding, she looked at him quickly before moving her gaze once more "I-I found you in an alleyway and brought you here." Giving her his megawatt smile which was unintentionally seductive to her, she pushed her fingers together. 'Not this again! I finally found the confidence to be with him and he changes into a sexy god and sends me right back to the way I was before!'

"Thanks a lot!" she whispered shyly as he embraced her as well leading to the same result as the Genjutsu Mistress. Hinata just couldn't handle his member up against her stomach. She fainted.

Placing her on the couch, Naruto scratched his head "What are the odds that they're both tired, ne Gouro-Jiji?"

Naruto knew Gouro as he was one of the few doctors that would treat him kindly and heal him. Sometimes Gouro was just plain depressing with his life analogies but Naruto figure that if he spent all day around the dead and dying, he would be depressing too. "What happened to you, son?"

"I'll explain fully when Hinata-chan and Kurenai-chan wake up but basically Kyuubi gave me a bloodline." Gouro couldn't believe his ears. "What? When? How? Why? Where?"

"Wait a minute….." Seeing Kurenai awakened and Hinata stirring "You guys seem pretty trustworthy so I'm going to tell you my secrets." Naruto's eyes hardened "But you mustn't tell the Hokage."

"Okay" Hinata nodded in a somewhat confident voice.

"Wait a minute!" Kurenai interrupted "Why not?"

"Because I don't trust him" Naruto answered simply.

"How can you say that about Hokage-sama?" Gouro scolded disappointedly.

"You'll say the same after you hear this" Naruto took a deep sigh and began "Assuming that you all already know about the events of October 11th except Hinata" Both Gouro and Kurenai flinched at this. "I'll just inform her."

"Hinata, on that day, the Kyuubi no Yoko was sealed into a new-born child by the Yondaime expert fuinjutsu skills at the cost of his own and that child's life was change in the most violent way." Hinata gasped "The Kyuubi caused the death of many ninja and civilians alike and so they took their anger out on the child he was sealed into. Fucked up logic huh?"

The shock wearing off as she pieced everything together, she shook her head and smiled "You truly are an enigma aren't you Naruto-kun?"

Naruto blinked "Aren't you terrified of me?"

Hinata laughed in a way that entranced Naruto "Is the fact that you have a fox in your belly supposed to scare me?"

Naruto's smile was brighter than ever "I'm sure we can be great friends!"

Hinata smiled mysteriously as she rubbed her thighs together 'Maybe something more…'

Naruto's face returned to its serious expression "Now, on to what you didn't know."

Everybody turned their attention back to him and Kurenai silently place a privacy Genjutsu on them. Sighing, Naruto began "The Kyuubi gave me a deal in which….."

_**20 minutes later**_

Gouro, Kurenai and Hinata all sat with their jaws on the floor. Nobody spoke as silence reined. You could hear the ever present cricket chirping away before it was silenced with a kunai.

"Fucking nuisance" Naruto growled before looking back at them "C'mon guys. Come back to me! I'm hungry and tired from the metamorphosis!" Kurenai had made instant ramen while she listened to the story. Not being able to wait any longer, he then decided he couldn't wait anymore and started eating.

Gouro snapped back first "So let me get this straight….the Kyuubi came to you after a severe beating by the villagers and promised to give you the power you need if you ripped off piece of the seal?"

"Yeff" Naruto murmured as he wolfed down the instant ramen.

Followed by Kurenai "When you tried to open the seal, THE Yondaime-sama appeared and proclaimed you as his son, viewed your memories, changed the seal for you and went back to the Shinigami's stomach?"

"Gulp…Burp…Yup" he gurgled out as went back to his meal.

And finally Hinata "Then the Kyuubi, whose name is Kurama, gave you this bloodline which changed your chakra composition, gave you enhanced senses, demonized your elemental affinities, enhanced your physical and neurological abilities with demonic chakra and gave you the ability to access his demonic arts?"

"Doff fuffet fifufic fee!" as Naruto tried his hardest to slow down

"Swallow Naruto-kun swallow" as she patted him on the back.

Taking a deep breath, he smiled at her "Thanks Hinata!"

"What I was saying was don't forget demonic chi."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow "What's that?"

"Kurama-sensei hasn't told me yet but if everything else I have is any indication then it's gonna be wicked!" he clenched his hand in wonder "I'm far stronger than I was before!"

Gouro eyed him critically "What are you going to do with it?"

Everyone eyed him in curiosity while leaning in closer to hear his answer "I don't know!"

Everyone face faulted at this "But I do know this!" They looked up once more.

"If this village and its council treated me and my mother like shit for so long, I just want to live free with and make sure that no one else suffers the hell I've went through!" Naruto half lied. What he actually wanted to do was shit on the village and its inhabitants and make the world a less fucked up place than it was when he left.

Kurenai's and Hinata's eyes softened as they heard this before Gouro questioned "Wait a minute….you said your mother? Who was she?"

Naruto scratched his head "I think her name was Kushina Uzumaki, the Red Death of Konoha…."

Gouro flew across the room, grabbed the shreds of Naruto's jumpsuit and pulled him closer "Who did you say?!"

"Kushina?" Naruto looked at little upset and pulled him off.

"Wow….I should've known she's your son." Gouro smiled and shook his head.

Hinata looked between the two "Who's Kushina?"

"Kushina was a master of seals from an island village in the Mizu no Kuni called Uzushiogakure but they were exterminated by the Kiri-Kumo-Iwa alliance during the Second Shinobi War."

Although Naruto had found out about Uzu's demise in his mindscape, he still couldn't help but feel a little sad. He just found out he had a family and just like that they were gone.

'But now I have names. Kiri…Kumo….Iwa. I'll be paying them visits in due time.' He inwardly declared.

"Continue…"

Gouro continued in a gentle voice "Your mother was one of the very few survivors. She came to Konoha through the alliance that they held a long time ago with Mito with the Kyuubi already in her. Konoha accepted her as they finally had their weapon back and she had all the knowledge of her home stored in special blood seals they hoped she would unlock and share amongst them." Gouro laughed wistfully "She refused."

'Go Mom!' Naruto grinned.

'Sounds just like his family' Hinata smiled.

"Of course, the council wasn't pleased. They demanded that she did but she stuck to her grit through and through saying that each clan in Konoha had their own secrets and she would keep her own. She was only twelve might I add. She stood in front of a group of elder ninja veterans and verbally shat on them!"

Kurenai giggled "So what did they do?"

Gouro replied "What could they do? Her argument was completely valid. Such an observant child! The Sandaime placed her in an apartment and gave her an allowance. He basically gave her everything they gave to you. The Root was still active and tried their very best to break into her apartment but her barrier seals stood strong. Hah!"

'Barrier seals….must be in the Dad's compound!' Naruto thought to himself.

"The council, particularly the civilian council, tried everything basically but they settled on stigmatization. They spread lies about the poor girl and revealed her status as Jinchuriki offering only to stop when she gave up the clan teachings."

"It's amazing how similar our lives are." Naruto said angrily.

"I should have seen the similarities but she must have concealed her pregnancy really well from me so that I could not see it. Well anyway, her life was a living hell. But the Kyuubi helped a lot with that as well. Using her scrolls, she became very strong in the year before graduation. Kushina had become angry at anything that moved in this village and her profane language showed it. It took me a long time as an Anbu medic, assigned to look over her by the Hokage, for her to finally trust me enough to tell me about all of this but you know how talkative women are." Naruto and Gouro laughed in agreement at this while Kurenai growled shutting them up.

'And I thought I was the scary one' Naruto shivered.

"Minato didn't care for rumours and no matter how many times the villagers said she would corrupt him if he didn't stop asking her out and he eventually wormed his way to her guarded heart. She had caught herself a future Kage but not without competition, some being her very closest friends. But the attraction between her and Namikaze was too strong to be denied. I guess saving her from bloodline-hungry Kumo ninjas help too. They were both considered prodigies no matter how hard the village tried to put down Kushina. Minato's skills only skyrocketed when Kushina began to teach him fuinjutsu. The council asked him to share them but he refused as well. Minato taught her some of his ninjutsu and at about sixteen Kushina mastered her Blood Shark Kenjutsu style that she had modified from her family scroll just in time for her Jounin exam. A year later, she married your father and the rest as they say is history."

Naruto got up, emotion written all over his face "I…thank you very much…for everything."

"My pleasure kid." Gouro smiled as Naruto turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Hinata asked.

"Home, Princess" Naruto smiled as she blushed at her nickname.

Seeing her little sister sigh at their time together ending, Kurenai formed an idea "Naruto, why don't you stay here for the night?"

"But you've already done so much for me that-"

Gouro smiled at their attempt to make him stay "Naruto, those Anbu will no doubt be monitoring this apartment closely. You leaving at this hour won't be smart."

Naruto now convinced "Okay, then I guess I'll stay then" He wasn't scared. Just cautious.

Hinata came out of nowhere with a plain white tee and a black pajama bottoms "You should take a shower."

"Thanks!" Naruto smiled and left the room.

Disappearing into the bathroom, Kurenai smiled at Hinata "You sure don't waste any time."

"Wasted five years," Hinata smiled back "Don't want to waste anymore. He's mine now."

Turning to make dinner, Kurenai winked "About time."

_**In the showe…r**_

As the water ran over his sculpted body, Naruto was deep in thought. About many things but particularly the proud erection jutting out from his waste. His childlike mind filled with wonder as he had not been allowed into the boy's personal Biology lessons. It was about 9 and a half inches and thicker than Hinata's wrist. 'Hinata? Why would I think about her?" Also, he felt a heat rumbling in him and this scared him as he didn't understand. His eyes kept straying to Kurenai's and Hinata's 'Lady parts' and wanted to do weird stuff with them.

'Guess I'll ask Kurama-sensei,' he said as he went inside his mindscape.

Running to the gates quickly, he yelled "Kurama-sensei, something's wrong!" Two giant crimson orbs glared back at him lazily. **"I knew you'd be back."**

"My thingy's all hard! Fix it!" Naruto folded his arms.

"**You should have listened to the Terms and Conditions! Humans never do for some reason, meh."**

"What are you talking about?"

"**Let me guess: Erection, lewd thoughts, heat in loins, can't keep your eyes in your sockets?**

"Yeah! What's happening to me?" Naruto folded his arms "And what's an erection?"

"**Sorry kid but you jumped the gun and now you're fucked in every sense of the word."**

Seeing the child's confusion, he began his explanation **"Kid, I told you that this kind of power comes at a price. Every ability I gave you is a building block. They will only be mastered through blood, sweat and tears. Your strength, speed, reaction time, senses, stamina, demonic chi, my demonic arts and ESPECIALLY your demonic elements will only be mastered and enhanced through intensive training. Are you willing to put in the work?"**

Determined, Naruto nodded "I'm ready and willing!"

Appreciating his gusto, Kurama continued **"Your little-no-more soldier and the things that accompany it are the cost of such power. You see, even though the seal's chakra synchronised with my own to minimize the appearance of bizarre appendages like a furry tail and ears-" **

"Thanks for that by the way," Naruto shivered

**"No problem. Now while you didn't get these appendages it was impossible for you to not get SOME demonic features. Ergo your fangs, eyes, hair colour, claws, manhood, libido and, in the future, bloodlust meaning that your lust for battle will be strong."**

Naruto raised a hand "What do you mean by manhood?"

Kurama sweat dropped** "I never thought I would have to teach the 'birds and bees' to a human."**

Seeing a speech on the horizon, Naruto materialized a classroom desk and chair with a notebook and pen. **"Okay kid, here's the thing….**

_**20 minutes later (20 seconds in the outside)….**_

"…**..and only then is it considered consensual." **Kurama finished. Naruto couldn't believe what he just heard. 'Clit? Labia? Period? Wasn't that supposed to be the end of a sentence?' He was so confused.

**"Kid, what you don't understand is that this opens a whole new dimension of abilities!"**

Naruto raised an eyebrow "It does?"

"**Yes. Although my demonic arts will make information gathering far easier and faster, if you use seduction, (an ability previously used only by konoichi) you can attain the information in a matter of seconds! When you go to bed, I'll train you in the art of pleasing women while you sleep tonight."**

As Naruto was leaving the table, Kurama stopped him **"Kit, by the way, you should be reminded that you're gonna be a lot more virile than usual man which means that pregnancy will occur a LOT easier than usual. So keep it safe wherever you decide to stick that thing okay?"**

"I understand…I think…." Naruto nodded.

**Also, you should always be gentle with opposite sex during intercourse. They aren't as strong as you. Luckily for you, this puberty on steroids has a relatively slow build-up but once it starts…." **Kurama finished ominously.

"It'll only get worse, won't it?" Silence reined in the sewer.

_**Back outside**_

A deep sigh left his throat. "Every power has a curse, huh?" he asked no one in particular. Soaping himself while still deep in thought, he didn't really mind. 'It could have been far worse I suppose' he mused. Scrubbing and rinsing off all the day's struggles, he wrapped his towel around his waist. 'Cool tattoo!' It did look pretty awesome as it was a black X that spread across his entire chest with a dark purple fox head in the middle. Turning his back to the mirror, he saw the four corners of the X pointing towards the kanji for Chaos! 'Damn Kurama, this looks sick!' he smiled.

"**I know now let me rest and recover my tail! My chakra is near infinite but it needs time to recharge. After my lesson tonight, I'll need to rest for at least 12 hours."**

"Hai, Kurama-sensei!"

'Oh crap, my jammies are outside!'

_**In the Living Room**_

Hinata continued reading Konoichi Monthly. She found it enjoyable when she had picked it up as a disguise for the Anbu. There was even a 'Trapping the Right Ninja for You' section! She squealed and started the questions not seeing the Naruto's jammies next to her.

_**With Naruto**_

Naruto tiptoed down the hall into the living room. Wiping one of his fang-like bangs out of his eyes, he spotted Hinata. 'Shit!' he panicked. Tightening his towel, he inched towards his jammies. Reaching out next to Hinata's shoulder, his claw tipped hands slowly move to the armrest to get his jammies.

_**With Hinata**_

Now because of their bloodline, all Hyugas naturally had great eyesight. Even without the Byakugan. So when Hinata saw a hand reaching for what she thought was her breast with Gouro and Kurenai in the kitchen and Naruto in the bathroom, she reacted. Grabbing the hand and flinging the body over her shoulder, she performed the perfect throw.

_**Kitchen**_

"….and Anko said that he STILL can't get it up!" Kurenai laughed uproariously. Even Gouro laughed a little at the joke. As he was about to prescribe something for the poor ninja in question, there was a loud thud and they both Shushined to the living room.

_**Living room**_

"Ita- wait? That wasn't painful?" Naruto grinned.

"Oh Naruto I'm so-" she froze. Where was his towel?

Kurenai and Gouro appeared next in a flicker with kunai and chakra scalpel in hands respectively.

"You're outnum-" she began before dropping the kunai and suffering a massive nosebleed back into the wall and knocking herself out.

"That's quite the healthy size," Gouro noted.

Finally seeing what defeated her surrogate sister, Hinata shot in the opposing wall with an even bigger nosebleed passing out.

Naruto, last to notice (as usual), spotted his pants and slip it on. Ignoring his shirt and giving his nice guy pose, "I think you should give them your energy pills, Gouro-jiji!"

Gouro face faulted.

_**10 minutes later in the dining room**_

Only Naruto ate, loudly and sloppily, while everyone else played with their food with obscenely large bumps on their heads. Ironically, the reason for their lack of appetite had enough for all three of them.

"Hoff..gulp..can you afford…..slurp…..this kind of apartment?" Naruto didn't miss a beat as he finished the onigiri and dove into the shashimi

"I do 3 S-rank missions a month," Kurenai refused to make eye contact especially with such impure thoughts rampaging through her mind. None of which had anything to do with Asuma.

Finishing the entire spread with a large burp, Naruto at least had the decency to wipe his hands and mouth with available napkin.

Hinata had her eyes glued to his chest. It was all she could focus her attention on. It was her universe especially that vibrant purple fox head on it. 'Kami, I'm wet.

Gouro was just marvelling at the boy's density.

Seeing they weren't in the mood to chat, Naruto got up and put on his tight white tee which just served to further excite both Hinata and Kurenai as it was like another skin. Drinking some water, he bid them goodnight before Hinata called out "Do you still have my handkerchief?"

"It's my most prized possession." Naruto gently smiled giving her a wink and closing the door behind him.

Kurenai promptly got up and walked to his door before she was grabbed in a bear hug by Hinata struggling profusely "Give….him…to….me!"

"He's…mine!" Hinata strained. She was a freaking Jounin after all!

"You can have Asuma!"

"He's gross, old and he smokes!"

"He is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

Gouro rolled his eyes and walked to the other guest room before closing the door "Women."

_**Naruto**_

Naruto back away from the door and fell on the bed. Smiling at his new family, though his 'mother' was trying to fuck him and his 'sister' kept enticing him, he was truly happy. 'I'll protect them all with my life!' then frowning 'And I'll definitely free you dad!' Closing his eyes, he began his training.

_**Next morning**_

Sasuke Uchiha had many titles. Last Loyal Uchiha, Younger Brother and Shadow of Itachi Uchiha, Soon-to-be Avenger of his Clan, Son of the Deceased Uchiha Clan Head and his least favourite Fangirl heart throb were among these titles. But right now as he left his bed, he was just plain lonely. His own older brother betrayed him by killing their entire clan and used a hellish Genjutsu on him that made him relive the experience. And worst yet, he pushed away his only other brother figure Naruto Uzumaki.

_**Flashback**_

"_Where we going, Itachi-nii?" said a seven year old Sasuke from atop his brother's shoulders._

"_We're going to meet someone special," Itachi said giving one of his rare smiles. His police badge shone brightly as people smiled and waved at him. 'I wish people would like me like that' Sasuke's eyes shone in awe. Seeing the playground, Sausuke huffed "I don't wanna play!"_

"_Who said anything about the playground?" Itachi raised an eyebrow as they walked past the playgrounds and into a light forested area. "Naruto, I'm here!" A figure fell from the tree and walked to the. "Who's the kid?"_

_Sasuke flipped off his brother's head and glared at the boy "Who you calling a kid?"_

"_Can't you walk on your own two feet?" Naruto laughed as he walked from below the shadow of the tree line._

"_I'm the Honourable Heir of the Uchiha Clan!" Sasuke said in his best haughty as Itachi sighed._

"_Really! An Uchiha! Can I see your fan insignia?" Naruto gasped._

"_Certainly!" Sasuke turned around._

_Naruto, while oohing and ahing, spat on his blue sandal, for lubrication of course, and sent it up Sasuke's ass._

"_Aaaaaaaaaaiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeyoooooooowwwwwww!" Sasuke yelled as he flew into the air and landed at his brother's feet._

"_Sorry," Naruto said innocently "Just had to dislodge that stick from your ass!" _

_Sitting on a boulder, Naruto huffed as he folded his arms "Status doesn't mean fuck to me! In fact, it infuriates me. People who have it just sit there on their fucking thrones and make my life a living hell! If you have the power, make this fucking world a better place!"_

_Turning to Itachi innocently, he smiled "Itachi-san, may I have some pocky?"_

_**Flashback end**_

Ever since that day, Sasuke won every time they sparred on the few occasions they did. It wasn't fair and they knew it. Naruto had no family style while Sasuke had gotten lessons in his clan's Intercept Fist. But Naruto's ideals stayed fresh in his mind to this day. Itachi later told him that Naruto had no family and was an orphan living in an apartment by himself. Sasuke was shocked. Naruto was always in his face and smiling and to find out he had no family was a revelation. He tried to apologize but was met by _"I don't need your fucking pity! I've come to terms with my family or lack thereof so just stay my friend and we'll be cool, okay Teme?" _

_"Dobe!" He growled starting another spar._

Their friendship stayed the same until…

_**Flashback**_

_An eight year old Sasuke walked into Naruto's clearing, onyx eyes devoid of their usual spark. It had been two weeks since they last met and Naruto must have been getting worried._

"_Oi, where's Itachi-san?" Naruto yelled knowing something was wrong as Sasuke flinched._

"_We have to go and kill Itachi." Sasuke said with a deceptive calm._

_Silenced ensued for a while before Naruto burst out laughing._

"_Teme, we can't kill Itachi-san! He's wicked powerful and besides that why would-" Sasuke punched Naruto in his stomach full force making him double over. Grabbing his collar, Sasuke slammed him into the floor. "What the fuck, Sasuke?!"_

"_Itachi killed everyone Naruto…..Every-fucking-person! Even" Sasuke's voice cracked "Even Mom and Dad!" A lone tear hit Naruto's cheek as others fell to accompany it. "And he put me in a genjutsu so horrible… Again…again…again…"_

_Naruto then sat up finally seeming to understand his grief and put Sasuke to sit up on the grass as well, he spoke gently and sobs wracked Sasuke's body "Bro, tell me what happen, okay?"_

_Sasuke then poured his heart out as Naruto's face contorted more and more in disbelief. "Not fucking real! That wasn't him Sasuke! I just know it!"_

"_You think you know him better than me?!" Sasuke growled in increasing anger._

_He could see the gears turning his Naruto's mind. Coming up with nothing, Naruto said "We have to investigate this, Sasuke! I know that there's more to this!"_

"_You're taking his side?" Sasuke screamed having a breakdown "I thought we were fucking brothers and you TAKE HIS SIDE!?"_

"_Sasuke, think about it for a fucking second?" Naruto yelled trying to make him see reason "Do you really think Itachi Uchiha, the most loyal fucking ninja to this Kami-forsaken village and Anbu captain would do this to it?"_

_Sasuke calmed down and said impassively "You either train with me to kill him or never speak to me again."_

"_I just can't hurt one of my first ever precious people Sasuke! Not without evidence!" Naruto growled._

"_Then you are no longer my brother," Sasuke turned his back not seeing the tears leaking down Naruto's face._

_Walking away, a cold breeze blew through the clearing signifying the end of their friendship…_

_**Flashback end**_

He hadn't seen nor heard of Naruto since. He still believed Naruto was on Itachi's side and that hurt him in the worst way. Walking the empty halls of his main compound, he could almost hear the echoing laugh of children. See the spars of his fellow clansmen. Smell his mother making breakfast.

'Wait a minute' he sniffed the air saying "I can smell bacon!" he whispered. 'Oh shit!' he panicked thinking he was finally going insane 'Next stop, a padded room with Inoichi!"

Dashing to his kitchen, he couldn't believe his eyes. There stood some buff blonde frying his eggs. He loved eggs. And udon of course "Hey teme, scrambled or sunny-side up?" the blonde asked as his purple eyes glinted mischievously.

_**45 minutes earlier**_

Writing a quick note and putting it on his pillow, he brushed his teeth and jumped into the bustling streets of Konoha. He didn't want to cause any more trouble to his new family. Putting a Henge over his slits, claws and fangs, he still looked somewhat different from the average citizen. Putting his hands in his jammies, he received a variety of looks from the women, lust being the most prominent of course. Remembering his lessons, he smirked suggestively as he walked into his district to reach Sasuke's house.

A woman dressed in a black tank top and white skirt approached him and winked "Hey, big boy, wanna have some fun? Half-off just for you!"

Nodding to her, they walked into an alley

Pushing her into an alley, he grinded himself against her core while nibbling her neck. Feeling his size made her gasp and whimper. "Do you want me?" he growled suggestively as his whole body rumbled. Feeling this, she tried to push down his sweats to take him inside of her but he grabbed her hands and held them above her head. "Answer me!" "Please!" she begged as he roughly grabbed her breast and pinching the nipple gently. "Can I have it for free?" Reaching down into her panties, he found the hard nub of nerves he was looking for and began playing with it as taught expertly. "Free!" she gasped at his ministrations "You can have it for free just give to me please?" she cried out close to tears.

"Will you have my child?"

She was mad with lust but she had to think of her career. "But I-" Thrusting his index and middle finger inside her while his thumb rubbed her clit while being careful not to use his claws on her, she climaxed convulsing madly around his fingers. Releasing her hands, he brought one of them to her prize if she agreed of course. With a feral grin on his face, he spoke almost gently "Have my child and it can be yours…" She collapsed on his hand but he held her up with his fingers still within her.

"Okay…okay…" she groaned as she rubbed his hard hot member in awe and longing "Any amount you want just give it to me please…"

Her voice broke and Naruto knew he had gone too far. This wasn't him. Using people was wrong and he using a woman whose life revolved around such a profession. Test of no test, this had to stop or he would really hurt her. He knew that the things he had learned were effective and that was the point of this exercise. Stopping, he held her close. "I'm sorry. This was a mistake and I…I shouldn't have done this to you." he whispered to her. His purple orbs boring into her own glazed amber ones, she nodded dumbly. "You should stop living like this. I don't know much about sex but I'm old enough to know that it should be between two people who really like each other." He spoke as he released her and fixed her panties and bra before kissing her on her cheek.

"Make something of yourself okay?" He spoke regretfully as he walked away.

"Hey you!" Naruto turned around to see a man glaring at him. Based on his state of dress and the woman's submissive but frightened look in her eyes, he knew this was her….employer.

"You pay for her time!" the little man yelled as two bigger men walked in at the end of the alley next to him, one holding a pitchfork while the other held a steel club. "Or else!"

'Time to see how well this body works.' he mused before he pulsed with purple chakra and disappeared before their eyes.

Reappearing right in front of them, the pitchfork-guy was first to respond. In a futile attempt to impale him, Naruto grabbed onto one of the three prongs and diverted it away from his body with his right hand. He slammed his left palm into the wooden stick breaking it. Dropping the prongs from his right hand, he embedded it into his opponent's stomach causing the poor man to double over. Taking the broken stick and hooking it behind the man's head, he grabbed onto both sides before slamming his knee into the man's nose breaking the stick and nose simultaneously. Seeing the first on fall to the floor, he sensed the other one to his left swinging the steel club towards him. Instinctively blocking the club with his arm, he shocked himself and the thug it when his bone didn't even creek or hurt for that matter.

'Sugoi! My bones are super dense!'

Wrenching the club out of the man's hands, he spun around and kicked the man with such force that the man flew into the alley wall with a sickening crack. Stamping on his first victim's throat, he told himself that he couldn't afford witnesses but he knew that it had to do with this aura surrounding him. It licked at his bangs and filled his mind with thoughts of blood and evisceration. But this wasn't him. 'Obey me…' he closed his eyes as the fox head on his chest glowed defiantly. 'You WILL obey my will! Know your place!' he inwardly screamed and with sheer force of will, he forced it back into tattoo centred on his chest. 'So this tattoo acts as some sort of limiter I see…..' he analysed.

He then turned to the pimp. The cowardly man, now sensing his inferiority, pleaded for his life "Please spare me! I'll give you anything you want! Please!"

"How many women do you have under your…employment?" Naruto asked calmly.

"11 and all of them are well trained…" The man smiled thinking he knew Naruto's angle.

Naruto hid his disgust with a calm façade '11 women he forced into this type of employment…he just signed his death certificate.'

"Good. Now give me your bank number." Naruto glared at him.

"6, 4, 6, 8, 9, 3, 5!" The man yelled terrified at the slits in the boy's eyes.

"And the money in your pockets."

The man quickly pulled out all his money and shoved it in Naruto's hands "Here's everything! Please let me li-"

"Nope." Naruto said casually as he slashed the man's throat. The pimp then fell to the ground trying to stop the bleeding before finally dying.

Naruto walked to the two other corpses collecting each wallet and walked back to the woman and handed her everything despite her new fear of him. Her hands barely registered what was in them as she still tried to come to grips about what she had just seen.

Smiling softly, he held her now full hands "Listen, I'm so sorry for what I did to you but here's enough money to start a new life. His bank account number is 6468935 so you should go and pull out all the money and share it with all of the other girls under his employment. If you ever need to see me, my name is Naruto Uzumaki and I live in apartment 28 of this district. What's your name?"

The woman, still apprehensive of what she just saw, shook hands with him. Her eyes indecisively showed anger for his ministrations but also fear of what she had just witnessed "M-My name i-is Kimiko Samichi. Wh-Why are y-you doing all of this?"

Naruto, turning his back to her, smiled "I don't really know. I guess I'm just tired of seeing people suffer, myself included. By the way, you should run before the ninjas arrive and investigate things." Jumping on a rooftop, he disappeared. While she ran, she couldn't help but think how stupid he was to reveal his name and home to her. She was still a little pissed at what he did to her but she still wanted to know more about him. 'Later' she told herself. 'Later indeed'.

Neither of them saw the figure hiding in the shadows. 'I must report this to Danzo-sama!' The figure then disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

_**With Hinata**_

Pink lips opening cutely in a yawn, Hinata awoke. Today, she decided, would be hers. Particularly a blonde Adonis by the name of Naruto Uzumaki. Or should she say Naruto Namikaze. His lineage was truly legendary but she didn't really care for that. Prestige and blood meant nothing to her as Naruto had unintentionally taught her. She had however hatched a plan to ensnare the young man. Last night, as Kurenai had displayed so outlandishly, showed her how desired he would become. He had to take him before it was too late.

Adjusting her oversized white tee shirt to showcase more of her bust, she sighed. A measly B-cup would not contend with heavy hitting beauties of Konoha. After all, Konoha had the most beautiful women in the Elemental Nations rivalled only by Kumo. But she knew she couldn't rush these things. 'I'm only eleven! I have time,' she smiled as she entered Naruto's room. Seeing it empty, she panicked 'Maybe not!'

Running to his bed, she found an open window and a note. Thinking the worst, she frowned grimly 'What if, upon discovering his bloodline, they put him into a breeding program causing a bunch of beautiful Hybrid babies to be born?! What if the male babies grow up and have sex with women all over Konoha knocking them all up?! What if all the other villages start wars to get in on the action causing the Fourth Shinobi War?! Konoha's entire konoichi force is already knocked up making the village handicapped and Iwa finally has its revenge on a bunch of Yondaime-looking babies!'

She stopped herself. She was getting delusional. Such a thing could never happen! While in Kumo, a small young boy with a lollipop in his mouth sneezed. A red haired, ebony skinned girl raised an eyebrow "You all right, Omoi?" Nodding at her as they walked to the academy, he slowed his pace "Just feels like someone is jacking my style, Kamui…"

Reading the note, she smiled "Just like Naruto…."

_Dear whoever gets this,_

_Thanks for your kindness but I gotta go meet someone and test out this new body. Anyway I'll meet up with you guys later. Ichiraku's on me I promise you!_

_P.S. There's more to this bloodline than I already thought. There are consequences for this power but I'll tell you all later. Also, burn this paper when you're finished._

_Naruto_

Her brow crinkled though. 'Consequences….' she frowned at this 'That sounds really ominous..' "Well I still wanna see him so I just go look for him" Her conviction assured, she left the room to dress more appropriately to stal-I mean look for her Naruto.

_**With Sasuke…**_

Since his sleeping clothes didn't provide the necessary weapon compartments and adaptabilities, he was stuck with a nearby spatula to fend off his intruder. "Gonna fry me Teme?" the intruder raised an eyebrow. Hold on a sec…..only one person in this village would ever call him that. Someone who was aware of his status and just didn't give a fuck about it. But could it be? "Naruto….Is that you?"

The person in question simply poured equal amounts of eggs into two plates along with bacon and bagels. Finishing the two meals with two fresh cups of orange juice, he finally sat down and indicated for Sasuke to do the same. "I've always wondered about this food you have, Teme. It definitely isn't from this region." Sitting down, Sasuke finally reach his limit "Well are you Naruto?!"

Rubbing his ears, the person finally said "Mind not yelling so loud, Teme. Jeez yes It's me ok? Now shut up and eat!" Eating sloppily as he always did, Sasuke smirked and sat down also "Still have no table manners Dobe?"

Finishing his meal in record time, Naruto grinned "Still have that stick lodged in your ass Teme?"

"Why won't you just tell me the reason behind this new appearance of yours because I know your Henge isn't this good," Sasuke scowled.

"You're absolutely right," Naruto smiled wiping his mouth "I'm not this good. This appearance is completely genuine."

Sighing in annoyance, Naruto began "You know about the Kyuubi?"

Sasuke shrugged "Who doesn't?"

"Well, here's the thing….."

_**10 minutes later….**_

Sasuke blinked "You could have just said puberty, you know? No reason to make up fake-ass stories."

Naruto grabbed one of his fang-like bangs "Since when does puberty give you purple bangs, Teme?"

"Could have dyed it," Sasuke shrugged.

Naruto dropped his Henge and his whiskers, fangs, claws and eyes came into view.

"Holy fucking shit!" Sasuke jumped back, capsizing his orange juice "You look like one of those Inuzukas!"

"I'm far more than an Inuzuka," Naruto smiled smugly "Need any more proof?"

"Just one really," Sasuke stood up "Spar with me!"

"I really shouldn't Sasuke," Naruto hesitated "This power had drawbacks and I might-"

"Scared, Dobe?" Sasuke jabbed "I thought the Kyuubi himself gave you that power."

"He did but I'm telling you Sasuke," Naruto persisted "I'll really hurt you and-"

"Now I really wanna see how powerful you are!" Sasuke smirked "Let's go to my dojo!"

Naruto relented "You better prepare yourself."

They walked the empty hallways of the Uchiha Compound as Naruto's eyes darted every which way. 'What's this uneasy feeling around this compound?'

"Sasuke, how do you live here day in and day out with this bad feeling of death?"

Sasuke shrugged "Simple really. You get used to it or you go insane. "

At that moment, Naruto's respect for Sasuke went up a few notches.

Sasuke stopped by his room "I gotta go get my equipment." Naruto stood by the door and waited a few minutes until Sasuke emerged with a kunai holster on his left leg and his shuriken pouch around his waist. "Let's go."

When they reached the outdoors dojo, Sasuke slid into his Intercept Fist stance "Let's begin Dobe!" Kicking off the floor, Sasuke tried to flank Naruto's right with a low fist but Naruto was prepared. Leaning back slightly, Sasuke fist sailed uselessly past him. Sasuke's eyes widened then narrowed 'He's fast!' Sasuke followed it up with a hand stand kick aimed at Naruto's head but Naruto simply blocked it with his left hand.

Grabbing Sasuke leg with his hand, Naruto flew him into the air. Sasuke capitalized on this and flung several shuriken at Naruto. Not having any weapons, Naruto weaved between the shuriken, his eyes being surprisingly sharp. Grabbing the last one, he flung it back at Sasuke. Flicking out a kunai from his holster, Sasuke blocked it "So your senses and reaction time are better!"

Landing, Sasuke bolted towards Naruto with his kunai firmly in hand "Let's see if those claws are just for show then!"

As Sasuke swung his kunai in a wide arc aiming for his chest, Naruto swung his nails down to block it. The result was far more surprising. The kunai's blade divided into four even pieces. Naruto stopped in awe of the spectacle and Sasuke simply continued his savage assault. Dropping his useless kunai, Sasuke slammed his knee into the Naruto's stomach. To his surprise, HIS knee began to pulse painfully. Snapping back to reality, Naruto flung a fist at Sasuke. True to his style, Sasuke intercepted the fist and redirected its force to his side before jumping up in a show of speed and kicking Naruto in the jaw.

Sasuke jumped back and smirked "Your bloodline isn't all that-"

A purple aura interrupted Sasuke as it seeped from Naruto's body like vapour. Naruto's eyes were shadowed by his hair as his already large muscles bulged further. Sasuke didn't know why but it looked like Naruto was straining against some insivible force. This purple energy then exploded forward as Sasuke blocked the furious winds generated from the energy. 'You would think that from the colour it would feel evil but it doesn't. It just doesn't have any one emotion going through it so I can't distinguish if it's friend or foe…'

Naruto began to chuckle softly and then spoke in an eerily maniacal voice _**"You shouldn't have done that, Sasgay…."**_ Naruto then licked his blood stained lips _**"Interesting flavour…I still hate it though"**_

Now not too many things scared or intimidated Sasuke. The horrendous images he was force to endure at the hands of his brother's Tsukyomi made sure of that. Any 'childlike innocence' that so many often spoke of was absent from him. He came to the reality that this fucked up life was his and no one else's and that, only through his own perseverance, could he fix it. But as Naruto slowly lifted his head and their eyes met, he knew he was in trouble. Not only were his slitted pupils now purple and his iris black but they glowed and radiated a manic desire to rend flesh from bone. The energy that swirled around wasn't anything to scoff at either.

"I see now," Sasuke spoke carefully as he slowly backpedalled "When I saw Naruto straining against something, it was you wasn't it Kyuubi?"

"_**Wrong answer! I'm my own person, a being created from Naruto himself!"**_

"Explain yourself!"

"_**I suppose I could grant you one wish before you die. You see, Sasgay, every time Naruto suffered a beating, a stabbing, a refusal or loss of a friendship-"**_ At this, Sasuke flinched _**"It manifested itself into me. It was only logical that his metamorphosis triggered my own in which I am now a sentient being.**_

"Listen. I'm sorry a-"

"_**And now that we have power you're ready to grovel at our feet! We trusted you! You and Itachi made us feel that we had a family in this fucked up world and then in one day, ONE FUCKING DAY, we lost the two of you!"**_

"You don't think I was hurt as well?! I lost my whole fucking clan in a single day! And my closest friend!"

"_**That was your choice to abandon us!" **_'Naruto's' claws lengthened further with a purple tinge to them_** "And now this is my choice to end you!" **_The energy then melded to his form and emitted a powerful glow.

"You aren't Naruto and this isn't his choice!" Sasuke glared as he grabbed a hand full of shuriken and a second kunai. "And I'm going to get him back to his senses!"

"_**An Uchiha without his Sharingan dares to threaten me?" **_'Naruto' sneered _**"Die!"**_

When 'Naruto' disappeared, Sasuke knew he had to keep moving. Pumping chakra into his legs, he jumped as high as he could as 'Naruto' appeared where he had been claws extended. Seeing Naruto going to jump, he flung his hand of shuriken as accurately as he could to keep him grounded. Instead of dodging, 'Naruto' simply sliced through them with his chakra enhanced nails. Seeing his attack fail, he used his first jutsu "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu! (Fire Element: Mystical Phoenix Flower Technique!)" Eight fiery balls of destruction flew towards 'Naruto'. 'Naruto' threw a punch in the general direction of the fireball and Sasuke's eyes widened as the air distorted and his fireballs were extinguished (and the shuriken hidden in them were deflected) all the while heading towards Sasuke. When the energy hit him, it felt like an actual fist implanting itself into his stomach and he plummeted to the floor.

Feeling a few of his ribs broken, Sasuke knew he had to move. Straining, he sat up on his knees and elbows and heaved to regain his breath.

"_**Cool huh?" **_'Naruto' grinned as he walked to Sasuke's downed body _**"I didn't even know I could do that!"**_

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he looked into 'Naruto's eyes 'Wait a minute, his sclera wasn't turning purple before! Perhaps his sclera represents this personality's control over Naruto! I can't let it cover the white of his eyes or it's over for the two of us!'

Flinging his kunai at 'Naruto', he ran at 'Naruto' "Snap out of it Naruto! Aren't we fucking brothers?!"

Catching the kunai between his fingers easily, 'Naruto' grabbed Sasuke by his neck, lifting him off his feet and bringing him to eye level **"**_**From now in, my name is Arashi (Storm) and you are no longer my brother."**_

Sasuke's eyes lowered shamefully as he remembered that those were the same words he had ended their friendship with. 'I have to at least turn him back to normal…..I won't let this personality win. If Naruto hates me then it hasmto be on his own accord!' Sasuke eyes began water as Naruto applied pressure to his windpipe. Pulling out his last kunai, he stabbed Naruto in the hand. When he was dropped, he back flipped and kicked Naruto in the face to create distance.

"_**Argh! You'll pay for that!" **_'Naruto' growled as his wound quickly healed.

"Naruto, I know you can hear me! Don't submit to this bastard! You never submit to any one so don't start now! If you really hate me, then despise as you are but not as this!"

"_**Too late!" **_'Naruto' jabbed his claws forward and once again the air distorted as an ominous force pelted towards Sasuke.

'Shit!' Sasuke panicked as he knew what was coming but his body began to fail him 'I have to move! For….the TWO OF US!'

Suddenly, time slowed down. Sasuke could see the energy in vivid detail and when his eyes told him to move to the side. And, forcing every cell in his body, he did.

"_**So somebody's balls finally dropped! Congratulation on the eyes, Sasgay!" **_'Naruto' sneered.

Wondering what Naruto was talking about, he finally realised why he could see the energy expulsion from Naruto's fist and whispered "My Sharingan has awakened…"

A Next one fixed for the better! Review if you think I made it an all-round better experience.

A/N: Based on the way I want things to play out, I had to unlock Sasuke's Sharingan sooner. And trust me when I say that thing will never be the same because of it. Next one in a week! Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay Naruto's chakra is purple but with good reason. I got my inspiration from the fact that Naruto's rasengan is always purple while in Kyuubi state so I figured that purple would the perfect shade of chakra after synchronisation. If you're worrying about its familiarity to Sasuke's level one curse mark chakra, don't worry. I've got a surprise for you. On a side note, Arashi is NOT the average alter ego. In fact….never mind read and find out. I was told in a review that I should stop making so many references to Naruto's penile size and I'm gonna take close heed of that. Those are the kind of flames I want: opinions that could make this an all-round better experience for the reader. Anyway, enjoy!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"**Kyuubi Talking"**

'**Kyuubi Thinking'**

"_**Arashi Talking"**_

'_**Arashi Thinking'**_

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Kishimoto does.**

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 4**

**Recruitment**

Naruto really didn't know what was happened in the last ten minutes. One minute, he was tasting his blood as Sasuke punched him and the next he was in a state a vertigo watching himself beating Sasuke to a bloody pulp from his mindscape. He could feel, see and hear himself doing these things but he wasn't in control. To make matters worse, he was trapped in black chains that had emerged from the murky water of his mindscape to ensnare him.

From what Naruto had assessed so far, he was being overshadowed by a darker version of himself. Naruto knew that all the pain he held inside would have a negative effect but he had always thought it would be a stomach ulcer or a really bad migraine and NOT another personality! Sasuke, his brother in all but blood, was being beaten badly and to add to this convenient clusterfuck, Kyuubi was asleep and still needed at least another three hours.

As he watched this gruesome spectacle in awe, he felt a small sense of satisfaction. It sickened him that he could feel this way about hurting Sasuke but it HAD really hurt him when Sasuke disowned him. But that didn't mean he was going to let him die. Not to mention that Sasuke was the beloved Last Uchiha and having his death by the hands of Konoha's Demon wouldn't do his image much good.

He did know two things about his predicament though: 1) It was a battle of wills over who would retain control his body and he intended to win and 2) His hatred wasn't something he could go against as it was a part of him. He needed to placate it. Closing his eyes and shifting slightly in the dark chains that bounded him, he concentrated deeply 'Don't worry Sasuke. I'll save your ass from…..myself I guess…..'

_**On the outside**_

Sasuke simply had no time to marvel at his new abilities. He was preoccupied with running for his life. Pushing his level one Sharingan to the limit, he avoided Arashi's invisible pulses. Deciding to go on the offences, he ran straight at Arashi. Seeing this, Arashi smirked and slashed at the air. Though he saw the claw-shaped blades in the wind, he just barely evaded the attack at the speed they were heading at him. 'I see now. This level of Sharingan is able to see the attacks and the energy behind them but this is useless unless you have the speed to evade or block them.'

Applying a final burst of chakra to boost his speed, he appeared behind Naruto and grabbed him in a bear hug despite his diminutive stature. Feeling that Naruto's herculean strength, he focused as much chakra into his arms as possible without them bursting. Though even with this he struggled as the energy around Naruto's body flares angrily.

"Naruto, this isn't you. Snap the fuck back to your senses dammit!" Sasuke strained.

"_**So you can hurt us again?! I think not!" **_Arashi sneered.

"Nobody was talking to you fucktard! I was talking to Naruto!"

By now, Arashi knew he should be able to break out of this bear hug. But for some reason, his muscle strength was generally weaker than it had been a minute before. His eyes widened _**'So he's trying to break out! Nice try!'**_

'Not trying! Succeeding!' Naruto smiled as the chains began to strain 'This is my body. I control whose asses I kick!'

"Naruto, for all the years I've known you, you've never yielded to anyone!" Sasuke finally let go and knelt to the floor, his body no longer able to handle the stress, "Don't start now!"

"_**Nooooooooooooo**_ooooooooooooo!" Naruto yelled while holding his head in pain. He hunched over breathing heavily.

"Naruto, is that you?" Sasuke murmured throatily.

"Yea…it's me…" Naruto panted.

"Good…carry me…to the….hosp-", Sasuke whispered before falling flat on his face.

Lying down next to Sasuke, he finally caught his breath "How am I going to explain this to the hospital?"

_**In the Eastern District of Konoha…**_

"Well he didn't go home that's for sure…" Hinata said to herself as she walked through the now busy streets of Konoha. It was about 9 am so she decided to skip school to find her Naruto. A self-given assignment of which she was encountering increasing difficulty with every passing moment. 'Where can he be?'

She checked the Ichiraku's Ramen, the Academy (covertly of course) and the Hokage Monument. Activating her Byakugan for the fourth time, she strained her eyes to the limit to finally see a fleck of purple chakra to her immediate south. Turning on her heels, she bolted towards his direction. 'I'm coming Naruto!'

As she gently jumped on rooftops, she noticed she was entering the Uchiha Compound 'Why would Naruto be here?' With her Byakugan active, she also spotted several strangely dressed Anbu moving towards his location. 'That's not how the traditional Anbu dresses?' Figuring this situation could go sour at any moment, she promptly decided to suppress her chakra as much as she could, find Naruto as fast as she could and get the hell out of here.

Landing on the fence of an outdoors dojo, she found the object of her obses- I mean affection. Who was she kidding! Obsession. Seeing him lying next to Sasuke, she quirked an eyebrow and deactivated her Byakugan "Naruto-kun I think we should-"

"Ah Hinata, talk about timing! Can you do me a favour?" With noted effort, he sat up and smiled at her.

'I can do you anything you want….' She licked her lips subconsciously "Sure, what do you want?"

"Can you carry Sasuke to the hospital and make up an excuse for his injuries?"

Obeying almost immediately, she leaned down and hefted Sasuke onto one of her shoulders. "Do I even want to know?"

Heaving himself onto unsteady legs, he smiled at her while scratching behind his head "Probably not."

Seeing her straining, he frowned "Are you sure you can-"

"No! Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything!" she smiled.

Leaning in, he kissed her check gently "Thanks a lot. You're a great friend!"

Activating her Byakugan, she sensed the pseudo Anbu draw closer "You should probably go now."

"I know how to make this up to you! When you're finished, meet me at Ichiraku's for breakfast okay?"

She resisted squealing and simply blushed magenta "H-hai Naruto-kun!"

Taking to the rooftops, he disappeared a moment later.

Hinata was left beaming. 'Acquaintances yesterday, friends today, lovers tomorrow? Seems legit!' Hefting the penultimate Uchiha carefully onto her back, she too took to the rooftops not noticing the shadows retreating silently.

_**Underneath Konoha**_

They say that every tree must have deep roots. Strong roots durable enough to penetrate soil, no matter how mineral filled, to withdraw the necessities the tree needs to survive. These roots are even more valued and needed than the tree. This was the hypothesis of one Shimura Danzo, influential advisor on the council to the Sandaime and avid competitor of the seat. He believed that, even though his ROOT facilities were ordered to be disbanded, Konoha still needed it. And so he created his base in the tunnels deep under Konoha with his command centre ironically directly underneath the Hokage Tower. His roots were unwanted but necessary, he believed, for the village to prosper no matter how much his so called "roots" were poisoning it….

He held a different theory on what ninjas should be. Far different from the tree hugging ideologies of one Hiruzen Sarutobi who believed that a ninja's beliefs and emotions on what is right and wrong and their bonds were what made them so powerful. Danzo scoffed at this. He believed that ninjas were nothing but tools to be sharpened and used for the benefit of the commander and be discarded when dull. "Emotions", he believed, were a hindrance in the sharpening of these tools and "bonds" prevented them from being fully utilised. Though he felt his theory to be superior, he still had YET managed to create ninjas on the calibre of Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru and this infuriated him.

Since he did not have a method of recruitment such as the Academy to acquire new tools, he had to recruit tools himself. However, what sane individual would want to have their emotions beaten out them and retrained into a mindless puppet? Therein lied his dilemma. He therefore had to use more "persuasive" methods such as blackmail, kidnapping, bribery, lying and lastly murder. Using the very bonds that supposedly made someone strong against them. It was a dirty job but he felt the right to play Kami and Kami he would be. Every person has a price and, if they didn't, they had bonds that he could exploit to his supposed greater good.

But returning to the fact of the matter, he currently had his eyes on acquiring one Sasuke Uchiha and one Naruto Uzumaki, both to be his top tools to be trained. He had wanted to sink his claws into these two but Hiruzen blocked him at every turn. And so he assigned four of his ROOT to observe them both. He knew Sasuke's price was power to kill his brother and he knew Naruto's was a family. He would obtain the last loyal Uchiha, the last Uzumaki AND Jinchuriki simultaneously. Only question was how to make them vanish from the hawk-like sight of Hiruzen. 'Perhaps I could-'

"Danzo-sama, I have an update on one Naruto Uzumaki and one Sasuke Uchiha." One of his top ROOT operatives, Fu Yamanaka, appeared before him. This particular operative single-handedly revolutionized the Yamanaka jutsu by making mind destruction and mind manipulation jutsu even more devastating. Out casted by his clan and uncle Inoichi, he came to Danzo for guidance who so happily obliged.

The war hawk's eyes hardened "Debrief now!"

"Hai Danzo-sama. The Uzumaki was seen fighting off a group of thugs in the red light district though his appearance was all round different than what it should be."

"Explain!"

"He was taller, around 5"4, and was far more muscular than I remember and he exuded a type of power that was definitely not regular chakra but not the menacing chakra of the Kyuubi either. It was indeed powerful Danzo-sama."

"Hmmmm…. anything else, Fu?"

"Yes. The Uchiha seems to have made close relations to one Hinata Hyuga because, after being damaged by an unknown source, she was seen carrying him to the hospital."

Danzo almost salivated over the possible bloodline that could be created at their union. He actually did at the thought of finding a more binding method of recruitment for the Uchiha. Interesting...

"I sense there is more?"

"Yes Danzo-sama, his suspected attacker, I believe to be, is none other than Naruto Uzumaki."

"I see…." Danzo replied calculatingly. Any power that could make Fu acknowledge it was power he wanted for himself. "You're dismissed. Return to your post."

'What's your secret, Naruto Uzumaki?' he thought leaning back in his chair. Some of his sensors had felt such an energy last night as well 'What are you hiding?'

_**With Hinata…**_

Hinata didn't really care for the Uchiha on her back. 'What about him was so appealing?' she grimaced. She just couldn't get it. All he did was brood all day with his duck butt hairstyle. And yet he deserved a fan club. It bewildered her. And then the girls claiming to be "in love" with him didn't know one thing about him. She knew Naruto's date of birth, dreams, goals, favourite colour, favourite food, favourite place to be, social security number, bank account number… She was beginning to see how disturbing this was but she didn't care.

But in a way she was thankful for this. Naruto's 'repellent personality' was a deterrent for those silly little girls at the Academy and this inadvertedly provided her with less competition. As she entered the hospital, she was once more reminded of her goal to ensnare him. 'Sure I don't have competition from anyone my age but once he becomes a Shinobi and fully fledged adult….' She gulped as the age old saying rang through her mind: Old enough to kill, old enough to fuck. 'I have to work faster.' She silently resolved over the blowing winds of Konoha that she would confess to him as soon as possible.

Walking up to the hospital secretary, she spoke deceptively sweet "Excuse me miss but can you take care of Sasuke please? I was training with him and he damaged himself while attempting a fire jutsu."

The administrative assistance shot into action signalling to one of the nearby nurses urgently "Take Sasuke-same from Hinata-sama immediately! He's been hurt!" Having Sasuke rather roughly taken from her, Hinata couldn't help but wonder if Naruto would receive the same treatment. "Give him my regards upon recovery, ne?"

"Yes, Hinata-sama!" the nurse bowed to her subserviently.

Leaving the hospital, she smiled to herself dashing off to meet her Naruto 'Eeeep! I can't wait!'

_**Meanwhile…..**_

As he walked through Konoha, Naruto didn't know what to do with himself. He felt like a piece of meat at one moment and Konoha's bane at the next. 'Why won't they make up their fucking minds already?! Do you want to fuck me or fuck with me?' He then saw a woman scowling furiously at him while licking her lips sensually 'On second thought, I don't think I want that answer…'

Looking up at the Hokage Monument, he couldn't help but find his resemblance to his father uncanny. 'Meh, doesn't matter I guess since I'm going to surpass him.' Entering his favourite eatery, he banged on the bell "Hey old man, gimme eleven bowls of ramen, 6 miso and 5 pork, stat!"

Ichiraku was confused. He recognized the words from the back of the shop but not the voice. Only Naruto spoke to him so disrespectfully but here was some stranger speaking to him like that. Walking from the back with ladle in hand, he prepared to give the person a piece of his mind only to find…..a Yondaime look-alike? 'Must be sniffing too much ramen fumes.'

"Who are you, young man?" Ichiraku scowled.

"C'mon I haven't changed that much, have I? I'm still the same old knuckleheaded ramen vacuum who came here just two days ago. "

"….N-N-Naruto?!" gasped Ichiraku.

"T-T-The one and only!" Naruto dryly replied.

"What happened to you?" Ichiraku inquired.

"Would you believe me if I said I went through overnight puberty on steroids?" Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"No." the former ninja stated.

Naruto's eyes hardened, signifying the significance of what he was about to say "I can't tell you old man because it would put you and Ayame-nee-chan in a lot of danger and added to that fact there are lots of people around us who might overhear and as you know this village isn't exactly keen on keeping its secrets, especially S-rank ones concerning me."

"You know about the-!"

"Yes and I forgive you for not telling me but on to more serious matters…where's Ayame-nee? I have a wicked prank to play on her!"

"She's out shopping with her friends. I encourage her to have a social life, you know? She should be back soon though."

"Okay but can I still have my ramen?"

"Sure gaki. Coming right up!"

With that said, the master chef retreated to his kitchen to create the "Food of the Gods", as Naruto so aptly named it. Ichiraku, while kneaded the noodles, heard the all too familiar chimes of teenage laughter and knew Ayame had come back 'She's in for a surprise. Heheh!'

Ayame stepped in through the back door and pecked her father on the cheek while reaching for her apron and hairnet "What's up Tou-san?"

"I have a guest out in front who asked specifically for you."

"A guest huh? Guess I'll go see who then."

Grabbing her order notepad and pen, she walked out to the front of the shop. Smiling, she lifted her head to see the most handsome man she had ever seen in her eighteen years of life. He was looked as if he was sculpted by Kami herself. He was a little taller than her at 5"4, was muscular but not overly so with a lean figure that prove he was capable of handling himself, had a mane of dark gold hair that ended at his jawline with two purple tipped locks and his eyes…his beautiful amethyst eyes that shone with mischief. She was so mystified she didn't notice him speaking to her. She stopped her salivation and tried to force her brain to reboot.

His voice was thick and sultry as he spoke "Can I have eleven bowls of ramen, Ayame-nee?"

"S-s-sure. I-I'll g-g-get-wait! What did you just call me?"

Grasping her hand gently, she could feel the heat radiating off of his palm 'Sweet Kami….Does he know what he's doing to me?!' Bringing her hand to his lips, she could feel the soft caress of his blond bangs against her wrist. She shuddered in anticipation and tried to bring her mind back to the matter at hand.

"I called you Ayame. Is that not your name?" His entire body rumbled as he spoke still holding her hand.

"I-It is but y-you c-called m-me Ayame-nee. O-only one p-person c-calls m-m-me that."

"Who?" he inquired, all the while rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand.

"N-N-Naruto. U-u-uzumaki Naruto"

"Look at my face closely Ayame-nee. Tell me, what do you see?"

For a moment, she was threatened to yell out "perfection' but stopped herself. He did look somewhat familiar. But where? Where had she seen him before? And why did he look like-.

"Y-y-you can't be!"

Silence reined for a few moments before Ayame's face contorted in shock and understanding before the raucous laughter of two individuals bellowed throughout the village.

"Hahaha you should hehehe see the look ohohoh on your face! HAHAHAHAA! Old man, heho you got the picture?"

*CHICK*

"I got ohoho the picture hehe!"

Realizing what had happened here, Ayame's hair shadowed her eyes in righteous feminine fury. The deathly aura surrounding her saturated the atmosphere and brought Naruto's and Ichiraku's laughter to an instant halt "Narutoooooooo Tou-saaaaaaaaan!"

WAM! BANG!

_**Meanwhile….**_

Hinata came across a very peculiar scene of one Uzumaki Naruto and the propriety of the ramen stand, Ichiraku, heads hung each sporting a large bump on their heads. The solemn look on their faces and the self-righteous one on the young woman's standing next to them made her want to inquire but she decided against it.

"Naruto-kun, are you ready for our date?"

"Sure hime! Let me order you something, kay?"

'It's like he doesn't even feel the bump anymore!' Hinata sweat dropped. "Hey old man, make that an even 6-6 bowls of ramen!" Naruto chirped happily as Ichiraku readied the feast. "You're gonna love this Hinata. This is the best ramen in the world. You'll see!"

'At least he's still a child at heart so that's kinda cute' she smiled at him lovingly. Oblivious to her staring, Naruto salivated as he watched as the first two of many bowls of ramen approached him. But a voice, all too familiar, shattered his train of thought **"Yaaaaawwwwn what's new, kit?"**

'So you've finally awaken Kurama-sensei. 'Bout time you got up from that catnap of yours.' Growling somewhat Kurama remembered the real reason why he was indisposed. He wasn't sleeping as Naruto had assumed but was tweaking the seal a little so he could integrate Naruto's chakra and . **'Better he has it than me. He could probably do a lot more with it than I can and after all, my only wish is to see the downfall of that accursed Madara impersonator and to be reunited with my beloved Chomei.'** He knew that Naruto would be out for blood after learning the masked man's role in his mother's demise but he didn't figure out how he would meet up with Chomei. **'Hmmmm…..'**

'….and now Hinata and I are having breakfast together. Anyway, when can we start my training?'

"**Well, we'll begin as soon as possible but I don't want to interrupt you little date." **Kurama smirked knowingly.

'As if princess would want a guy like me. She's nobility for fuck's sake!' Naruto protested.

"**You'll see." **Kurama replied **"Thanks for changing your mindscape for me, by the way."**

And there was the other reason Kyuubi preferred his circumstances. Not only did the kit change his mindscape to a beloved fire covered wasteland filled with the anguished screams of shadow ghouls of his home world with a large castle overlooking it all but the kit's life was slowly becoming that of an action filled romance sitcom and, with access to all of the kit's senses, he was beginning to enjoy himself. **'And besides Chomei was probably sealed like me. I'm sure I'll see her along with my other siblings in due time…'**

'No prob.' Naruto mentally smiled as he turned to Hinata who looked all fidgety.

'It's now or never!' Hinata leaned in.

About to ask her if she's ever eaten there before, Naruto was completely blindsided when he felt a pair of soft lips upon his own. Her lips tasted like ambrosia to the hybrid as he grasped at her body from her stool, his body straining to get more of her on him, near him, around him….

Ayame came to the front of the shop with another two bowls fully expecting the young couple to be finished with their meals, or more specifically Naruto to be finished with his own, but instead found the aforementioned couple tongue-fucking each other right there on the stools She was REALLY close to reconsidering her brother-sister relationship with Naruto as she covertly observed the spectacle from behind the counter.

Hinata couldn't be more pleased with herself. If Naruto's ravishing of her mouth was any indication, she was pretty sure he was now hers. Her tongue languidly glided around his own as his mouth tasted unsurprising like ramen and pocky sweets. The second flavour delighted her as she submissively allowed herself to be claimed…at least orally for now.

Naruto knew he should stop himself. He needed to stop himself. He was trying to stop himself but his body seemed to need this girl. From her intoxicating taste of hot buns and vanilla to her sweet aroma of lavender to her petit yet relatively busty frame mashed against his body incited a heat he yearned to quench. But that wasn't all he felt. A heat in his chest along with the urge to possess this lovely creature was what truly frightened him. His attraction to her was not just physical but almost spiritual. It scared him for three reasons. He had never experience these feelings before, he couldn't stand this sudden co-dependency on another person as he had never needed anyone in the past and he didn't think he could stand her rejection if she decided to. The suddenness at which these feelings slammed into him was a bit unnerving as well.

"**Well fuck."** Kurama smirked **"Guess I was right…." **This was the kind of stuff movies were made of. He materialized a bucket of rodents (a demon's equivalent of popcorn) and munched away anxiously.

Reluctantly, Naruto untangled himself from this little seductress that had single handedly destroyed his defences. "Stop…" he groaned as she leaned back in for more "I won't be responsible for my actions if you do that to me again." Hearing the distress in his voice, she spoke softly "But I won't mind. You can have me anyway you want b-because I…." she gulped anxiously "I love you Naruto-kun."

Silence reined throughout the stand as Ayame suppressed a girly squeal at the lovely couple.

"Hinata I-" Naruto began but she interrupted.

"You don't h-have to answer right n-now because I know you d-don't really know what l-love is but I just want you to know h-how I feel and that I'll d-do anything you want until you love me b-back. I-I know this isn't some silly c-crush when I saw your b-bloodied body in that a-alley. It's because of t-that incident that I r-realize now that I-I've fallen in love with you for not only your m-merits but your faults as w-well."

With that said, Ayame knew she couldn't interfere with this relationship. This was genuine love and not the rabid lust she felt for him. She gave him the best of luck. 'He's with the Hyuga princess after all.'

Kurama felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. **'That's how Chomei and I used to ravish each other before I fucked up. I miss her so much sometimes…..'**

"You're right Hinata. I can't tell you what you want to hear but I can tell you that I feel something deep for you. Something that I've never felt before."

Hinata smiled while holding his hands 'It's definitely a start for us!'

"But now it's my turn to tell you something important. You recall in that note I left you about my 'condition' having consequences?"

"Yeah.." Hinata replied worriedly.

"My 'tenant' says that, since he accelerated puberty and added his unique 'energy' to my transformation that my lust for battle and the female form will be extremely heightened as time goes by."

"Oh my" Hinata blushed profusely into a deep shade of crimson "I-I'm s-sure that a-as time g-goes by o-our relationship w-will r-reach th-th-that l-level…"

"That's not all I'm talking about…" Naruto sighed.

Grabbing her hand, he inconspicuously lowered it to his lap "This is what you do to me, hime…"

Wondering the reason behind his actions, she felt around. She then found a lump. A rather large pulsating rigidly warm lump. Her mouth dried. Her pulse quickened. The world span as she found herself disorientated.

Hinata did something she thought she would never do again in her life.

She fainted.

_**30 minutes later….**_

Slapping her face gently, Naruto finally got Hinata to come to. "Ano….Naruto-kun!" She bolted upright remembering why she lost consciousness. She started hyperventilating before Naruto placed a hand on her back.

"Geez calm down. Relax okay?"

She nodded "O-okay…"

"Listen it's obvious you needed sometime to yourself to think about what a relationship would entail."

She nodded again closing her eyes in shame.

"Do you want me-" Naruto sighed before Hinata dashed from the stand, not being able to stand his regretful tone of voice 'I'm so stupid!'

Ayame was able to piece together most of what he encoded to Hinata and was genuinely surprised. 'Guess that body isn't for show then.'

"Ayame-nee, you can come out now" Naruto murmured, eyes not leaving the place Hinata previously sat. Ayame came out from behind the counter and walked to Naruto cautiously "Are you okay, Naruto-nii?"

"I'm good." Naruto faked a smile "But my appetite's-"

"I understand…" Ayame attempted to remove the ramen bowls from the table but a strong hand stopped her.

"You didn't let me finish. My appetite's been decreased, not deceased. Bring two more bowls please."

She chuckled at this and went to tell her oblivious father their new order.

_**10 minutes later….**_

The first thing the last loyal Uchiha registered was a beeping sound. Groaning softly, he moved onto his back and opened his eyes only to see the pristine white of the hospital ceiling prompting him to close his eyes once more. Squinting slightly, he gave himself time for his unseen charcoal pupils to shrink.

Remembering what put him in the hospital in the first place, his eyes narrowed "I can't believe I got my ass kicked by Naruto…"

"You want the play-by-play or the slowdown replay?"

Turning his head, he saw none other than his aggressor "I want to know since when do you have Multiple Personality Disorder?"

"Meh. It came with the body I used to kick your ass."

"So you aren't the slightest bit worried that there's a bloodthirsty version of yourself lurking in the deep recesses your mind?"

"If push comes to shove, I'll deal with him myself."

They just sat there wondering who should apologize first. Sasuke began "Naruto, I-"

"Sasuke, what would you do if you had power?" Naruto questioned suddenly.

"I would kill Itachi for what he did to me….to us…" Sasuke stated instantly.

Naruto wasn't surprised but he suppressed his emotions and continued "What's stopping you from getting stronger then?"

"After the massacre, the council decided to take the Fan Scroll containing all of our clan's jutsu and techniques. Two weeks after that, they only permitted me the novice katas of the Intercept Fist and two fire element jutsus."

"So they're trying to create an attachment between you and the village so that you will continuously associate the attainment of power with prolonged loyalty to the village….."

"Whoa…since when did you get so smart?"

"**That would be me. I made your mind catch up with your body. You were always smart but your eating choices deprived you of that intelligence but now your evenly balanced. That reminds me: I have to begin your situational tactics training soon. Your mind will have to be sharp and analytical if you intend to survive in this world as my host."**

'I see…'

"My 'tenant' said that he's responsible for that." Naruto replied.

"So I see you've found yourself a great source of power. How ironic is the fact that you have no use for it while I need it the most?" Sasuke scowled.

"Who says I have no use for it?" Naruto said looking out the window "I have ambitions too you know."

Naruto then turned back to the avenger "Although I don't agree with your path, I will help your to attain great power as well."

"But I-I…but you loved Itachi! Like a brother! Why would you agree on my path?" Sasuke practically screamed as a stray tear slid down his face. He couldn't believe this! Naruto was willing to give up one of his few relationships just to make him happy. He was speechless.

"Because you're the only brother I've got left." Naruto's voice cracked as he hung his head "And I c-can't…I won't lose both of my brothers simultaneously…"

Sasuke finally understood the dilemma Naruto was in which made him feel like even more shit. 'Itachi and I were two of his closest bonds and since he has so few he can't afford to lose us both.'

"I'll go steal the Fan Scroll and copy the jutsu onto a generic scroll so you can become stronger now that you have your Sharingan…" Sasuke was shock Naruto would go this far. He could barely believe his ears.

"But all I ask in return is this: Give me 2 years to prove Itachi's innocence. In those two years, we'll train together and become as powerful as we can….If Itachi-n-….Itachi is truly guilty, I'll join you myself in your quest for vengeance. If he isn't, then you join me in my ambitions, whatever they might be."

Sasuke slowly got back his cocky attitude "A-as if you can steal the highly protected Fan Scroll."

"Don't doubt my abilities, Sasuke…" Naruto glared leaking small traces of killing intent.

"I see…" Sasuke closed his eyes.

"So will you become my comrade and brother once more, Sasuke?" Naruto smiled.

"Get the scroll." Sasuke's Sharingan eyes shone brightly "Then we'll talk."

A/N: That's all folks. For now anyway. Hope the fluff-lovers had a good time. Review highlighting both the flaws and merits of my story. Until next time…

FIXED! Review!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay folks! I'm still doing exams right now but I have a long gap until my next one so I'm taking a lax to write this chapter. For those who don't already from my profile, I'm adding Tsume to the Harem making it a grand three and ONLY three. Got a whole She will be loved Maroon 5 thing going on there. To the bigger the harem, the more difficult the lemons will be. I mean lots of men wish for endless women but find themselves hard pressed to please even one. Stamina aside, Naruto only has 1 dick, 1 mouth and 2 hands. Let's keep things believable guys: To all those harem writers out there! No offence of course.

"Talking"

'Thinking_'_

"**Kyuubi talking"**

'**Kyuubi thinking'**

"_**Arashi talking"**_

'_**Arashi thinking'**_

_**Disclaimer: Thanks for wasting two years of Naruto's life, Kishimoto. Just Saying.**_

_***Kuso= Dammit**_

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 5**

**Discoveries**

_**Training grounds**_

THUMP! "*Kuso!"

THUMP! "Kuso!"

THUMP! "KUSOO!"

A weathered hand heavily wrapped in white gauze grasped the wooden stump that it was previously attacking in exhaustion. Loud pants echoed throughout the clearing as a 12-year old green-clad preteen leaned against the cold bark of a Sakura blossom tree in the early dawn, eyes closed in silent frustration.

Tears streamed down his face as he tried to come to terms with his future. A future that had already been decided for him…

_**Flashback begin (4 hours earlier)**_

_As Might Gai and Rock Lee carried out their pre-morning pre-warm-up for their official warm-up, Lee sensed something was wrong. A general lack of exuberance that was just barely covered up by fake smiles and half-hearted mile-long race challenges from Gai. _

_Lee had always been impassioned and inspired by Gai since the moment Gai took him under his wing. Incapable of performing the simplest of ninjutsu or genjutsu thanks to his Chakra Myopathy Arrhythmia, a condition which causes the distortion of his chakra paths, Lee had had no one to turn to in terms of tutoring as he was another orphan in the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack. Upon learning of his condition, they attempted to ban him from entering the Academy but Gai, who was there to give a speech on the wonders of Taijutsu, forced the offending Chunin to back down and allowed him to hear the lecture. After class, Gai listened to his plea of becoming a ninja and had given him his mentorship and guidance ever since in the art of Goken (Strong Fist), Gai's personal Taijutsu style he had created from many different styles. _

_They had come to understand each other quite well becoming more like best friends that teacher and student. This was why Lee knew something was wrong and he intended to find out._

"_Gai-sensei…pant…is there….pant….something…pant….wrong?" Lee huffed as they took their 20 second break._

_Completely unaffected by the workout as his body was already seasoned to it, the eccentric 36 year old leaned against a tree as his protégé sat on a nearby boulder "Lee….we have to talk…."_

_Sensing the seriousness of this discussion, Lee perked up and finally caught his breath._

"_Lee, you will be graduating in the next 7 months am I right?" _

_Lee nodded._

"_As you know, you will be taking D-rank and C-rank missions with the possibility of enemy Shinobi contact in the hopes of advancing in rank."_

_Lee's eyes hardened as a fire lit in them "I know sensei."_

_Gai's voice saddened "Shinobi who will undoubtedly have ninjutsu and genjutsu in their arsenal as your condition is extremely rare."_

_Lee's head bowed as he clenched his fists "I know sensei but with Tai-"_

_Gai voice suddenly rose "Lee, our Goken will only get you so far! There's a limit to how much you can learn from me! Only so much stronger your body can become! Only so many Celestial Gates you can unlock until you'll need…." Gai's voice trailed off._

_Lee's hands bled with the pressure he was exerting on them as his bowl-cut hair was shadowed by his eyes._

"_In the Chunin exams with the right training and teamwork, you can become Chunin as the requirements are somewhat lenient. However, the Jounin and ANBU exams are far, far more difficult and they require proficiency in the both fields you can never hope to advance in…"_

_Lee's head shot up and glared at his sensei "Then what's the use in training me if I can only go so far! WHY?!"_

"_IT WAS THE DAMNED COUNCIL LEE! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS FOR ME TO CONVINCE THEM TO LET YOU GRADUATE EVEN AS THE DEAD LAST?!" Gai's voice broke slightly "They're calling you a 'liability to mission success' as you can easily be led astray by the simplest of genjutsus. In the end Lee, all this village cares for is Ninjutsu. They WORSHIPPED a clan that can that could copy it for Kami's sake. They will never acknowledge my art form as a substitute for the' real thing'. Therefore after you reach Chunin, you will do minor missions in and around the village as decided by the Council of Fire."_

_Lee's entire world came crashing down on his shoulders as he fell to his knees._

_Gai placed his hand on Lee's shoulder as his eyes softened "Listen Lee. At least you'll be safe. You're like my son and I-"_

_Lee shrugged off his hand and stood up head still bowed as he spoke in a deathly calm "I would rather die fighting with Taijutsu than live as a pet to a village that doesn't respect it."_

_Lee took to the rooftops and vanished from sight…._

_**Flashback ends**_

"What meaning does my life have now?" Lee whispered, sight blurred with tears, but received no answer.

_**With Naruto**_

Stretching his muscles, Naruto left his vantage point of the Hokage Tower with his trusty notepad in hand. The same notepad he had used to orchestrate some of the greatest pranks the village had ever seen. He would outline his prank and any possible variables that would impede their execution all from his notebook. Placing an anteater from the Forest of Death (for its resilience of course) in the Aburame Compound? Smearing catnip on the Inuzuka compound walls? 'Ahhhh my best works….'

But now it was serving a bigger purpose. For the past three days, he had been recording the ANBU detail rotations around the room he suspected the Fan Scroll to be in. His newly acquired sight allowed him to spy out of the range of the best ANBU sensors. Another ability his sight granted was to be able to make a rough estimate of their chakra capacity which was extremely useful in case he would have to engage any of them though he knew that combat should be highly avoided. Pocketing his notebook, he decided to get some of that tactics training Kyuubi had been telling him so much about.

Just as he was going to take to the rooftops, he contemplated his conundrum with the Hyuga Princess. He touched his lips as he remembered her sweet taste of cinnamon buns and innocence. "Why would a pampered girl like her love a guy like me? I'm a…?"

He paused.

'What am I?'

"**Yaaawwwwn! I've been thinking about that kit. You're neither a hanyou nor a human….you're something of a fiend with your human-like appearance and dark powers….I suppose you can be called an Archfiend…"**

Jumping on the rooftops towards the training grounds, Naruto's face crinkled in discomfort 'Naw man. Fiends sound ugly. I'm actually handsome now. How about Chaos Sage?'

"**You do cause chaos in all your endeavors but you are neither wise nor skilled yet kit."**

Pouting somewhat, Naruto spotted a trail of destruction as he entered the Academy training grounds. Broken trees, crushed boulders and craters as far as the eyes could see.

'It's a Saturday. No one trains here on a Saturday….'

"**This destruction bares no trace of elemental chakra. This was all inflicted with the use of Taijutsu."**

'And there only one person I know in the Academy that can cause this much destruction with mere Taijutsu…'

Following the trail closely, he came across the sound of panting and sobs? How was that possible for one's respiratory system? Entering the clearing, he found his fellow dead last and friend, Rock Lee. He was obviously distressed which was strange because Lee never got down. The kid had an almost inexhaustible resolve to improve his circumstances and keep going. 'Just like me….'

Seeing Lee broken was like looking at an emaciated Akimichi. Not fucking possible and kind of heartbreaking to look at. "Bro you okay?" Naruto hoped that Lee would still recognize him. After all, his Henge only hid his claws, fangs and eyes.

Forehead against the wooden training stump, he turned slightly to look at his intruder "N-Naruto?" he croaked obviously thirsty. Naruto fetched his water bottle that he brought for his training and knelt down to give it to Lee. Grabbing it out his hand, Lee gulped it down greedily.

Giving it back to him, Lee finally spoke "That was not youthful of me, Naruto. I'm sorry."

Smiling, Naruto shrugged "Doesn't matter. My training doesn't involve much movement anyway."

Observing Naruto, Lee gawked "N-Naruto? You've reached your springtime of youth?!"

"You're still on that "youth" stuff huh?"

Flinching, Lee remembered why he was so depressed "You're right. It's completely idio-"

"Don't say that."

Lee's head shot up.

"There are too many "idiots" in this world with insecurities. Then they go around making others feel insignificant." Naruto thought back to his childhood "I won't let you be one of those bastards! If you wanna wear green spandex and shout shit about youth, then good for you! Keep doing you because in this world you'll learn that nobody else will!" 'I should know….'

This was why they were best friends. After Gai apprenticed him and he had begun to copy Gai, everyone made fun of him. One day when he was crying, Naruto came over to him and asked him why. When he told him, Naruto smacked him and told him that this (gesturing to his new sense of "fashion") was him and everyone who didn't like it could go fuck themselves. Needless to say, the two "dobes" had been close friends ever since.

"So, any reason why you're destroying the Shodaime's legacy?"

Lee sighed and reluctantly told his story to an alert Naruto.

.

.

.

"ARE THEY FUCKING SERIOUS?!" Naruto bellowed almost scaring Lee. Sighing heavily, Naruto sat down on one of the few intact boulders remaining "I won't let them do this to you, Lee."

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do short of treason Naruto."

"Not yet, anyway…" Naruto murmured.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Still none of this would happen if your body wasn't so….that's it! Gimme a sec!"

Closing his eyes, Naruto entered his mindscape 'Kurama-sensei, can you do me a favor?'

"**Now you can call me sensei? To butter me up?"**

'Eww. Don't say it like that! Anyway, do you think you can cure Lee?'

"**There are only two ways. The Demonic Rites which fall under the demonic arts that I've passed onto you. There's the Rite of Brethren and the Rite of Mates. Choose one."**

'Well I don't swing that way so the Mates one is out of the question…" Kurama chuckled at this 'So I think I'll go with the Brethren one.'

"**Wise choice. Find an undisclosed location. And I'll transmit the instructions to-"**

"_**You dare share our power with this village?! They are undeserving and un-" **_Arashi voice entered the fray.

"**Whatever minor hatred you think you have nothing compared to a demon lo-" **Kurama began thoroughly pissed at this entity.

'Kurama-sensei, he's right.' Naruto interrupted.

"**What?!"**

'He's the manifestation of the hatred I possess for this village.'

Arashi's eyes widened as Naruto turned to him and smiled. 'Thank you Arashi. Because it's only because of you I'm alive….'

"_**What are you talking about?"**_

'Back when I had no love, before Jiji, Ayame, Teuchi or even Iruka…..when all I had was hatred, it was that hatred that kept me going. Whispering in my ear that things would get better and that I would escape this village and live only for myself...that was you wasn't it?'

Arashi nodded.

'Thanks for that. You're the reason I'm still sane. And so I've decided that if things don't improve in the next 1-2 years, I'll take everything of significance to m-…us in this village and find a new home for us. Is that okay?'

Arashi couldn't believe his ears. No matter what happened, this kid tried to please everyone of importance around him and consequences be damned. Even those that affected him negatively!

Sighing while shaking his head, Arashi tried to reason _**"Listen. I never said I wanted you to leave this Kami-forsaken village. I just hate it with every of my being. You know. 'Cause I'm hatred personified and whatnot."**_

Naruto folded his arms 'Then what do you want then?'

"_**I want atonement! I want every clan leader who left us bloodied and beaten on our birthdays by their inactivity to suffer! I want every Civilian Council member head to roll at our feet. I want to bring this village to its very knees! With an arrow in each of course. Kukuku…"**_

Scribbling something in an imaginary notepad he had materialized, Naruto looked up 'Anything else?'

"_**Y-you're really gonna do all that stuff?!"**_

'What you want is what I want. I was already going to do all those things anyway.' Naruto picked his ears in boredom.

Kurama snorted at this **"He's you after all."**

"_**Oh. Well…um. Carry on!" **_Arashi fazed away into some other section of his mind.

'For a mental manifestation of the hatred I've accumulated over the years, he isn't so bad….'

"**That's because for all the shit you've went through you're still a good person. Why? I do not know." **Kurama mused.

'Awwwwww. You like me!'

"**I do not, you ape! Was just stating an observation!"**

'Anyway let me give Lee the good news.'

'**Wait. Do you really think he'll volunteer to become a semi-Archfiend like you?"**

'Wait a sec. Semi?'

"**Yeah semi. He doesn't have a demon lord in his gut. You're gonna be doing the ritual yourself. And since most of your chakra will be going towards curing his condition, he will gain the only a few of your abilities."**

'I see. Well thanks anyway Sensei.'

Lee had been standing there looking at the varying expressions fly across Naruto's face. He knew he wasn't any better so he held his tongue for the past couple of seconds.

Naruto eyes flew open and he smiled "Guess what Lee? I can cure you!"

Lee folded his arms "Now isn't the time to jest Naruto…."

Naruto sighed and formed a ram sign "Promise not to freak out?"

"Freak out about wha-" "Release!"

A large puff of smoke appeared as a guttural voice spoke through the haze "And boom goes the dynamite."

_**With Hinata**_

Within the Main Branch House, a maiden heart cries out in despair "FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!" Her raven-blue tresses bobbed as she banged her head against the wall of her bedroom since she had failed for the 16th time to work up the nerve to confront her obsession.

Leaning against the wall, she thought about the world as it was 'I mean why did our world have to be so militaristic in nature, having demons and whatnot. Why couldn't we just be average teenagers who fell in love, got married, have eight kids and grow old together?! But nooooo we just had to have sexy powerful men with oversized genitalia and demonized libido!'

Also for the past few days, she had been encountering horrible pains all about her body. She considered it to be her cycle but it was WAY off and she wasn't pregnant for Naruto….yet anyway. Her hair was also growing faster than usual 'Must just be growing pains or something….'

Sighing, she looked at the clock and saw it to be 7:00 Saturday morning. "Today I'm gonna do it for sure. After all, he has a bloodline so he was probably gonna go in the CRA anyway. I know that I might not be enough to sate his lust so I just have to accept all of him or none of him."

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Come in!"

And in came her smug and arrogant sister Hanabi. 'I'm so not in the mood to deal with her this morning…'

"What do you want, Hanabi?"

"I want to spar with you. After all, I need to warm up before father 9:00 session and all I have by way of useless trash is you sister."

Rubbing her brow in frustration, Hinata got up and walked over to her closet "How does it taste?"

"How does what taste?"

"To have your lips lodged so deeply in Father's ass."

Hanabi's eyes widened. Hinata never spoke to her like this before. It was always "y-yes sister…" this of "I-I c-cant h-h-hit you" that. All this began when she came home 3 days ago. She came back from wherever she went with a backbone. 'But she's never used such language before! Where's the meek idiot from before?'

"N-Nevertheless, F-father is waiting for us." Hanabi composed herself.

Slipping on her sandals and standing up, Hinata scowled "I'm warning you Hanabi. I'm not in the mood. I'll seriously hurt you and not give a fuck about it. Go and tell Tou-sama that you've changed your mind."

A feeling of dread washed over Hanabi at that moment. Disappointing Father was something she couldn't bear. But Hinata looked REALLY pissed and downright ominous with a glare that could freeze hell. Her father was all she had. No friends or mentor like her timid annoying sister who didn't deserve them! Just him!

"J-just go to the t-training grounds and let's get this over with…"

Hinata didn't say another word as they walked to the training ground. She stayed silent as her father greeted the two of them. Her lips didn't even budge as Hanabi slipped into her stance.

"Hajime!" Hiashi roared.

Hanabi shot forward, body closely horizontal to the ground nearly streamline with her right palm laced with chakra leading the assault with a fierce war cry "HAAAAAA!"

Hinata simply stepped to the side and brought up her knee, smashing into the girl's face. Stepping back, she finished with a backhand to the face sending Hanabi crumpling to the floor.

Silence echoed through the clearing except for the quiet sobs of one Hanabi Hyuga. Hinata just couldn't understand why she was so enraged. She could never remember feeling this angry before. She felt a tingling in her fingers and she lifted them to look at. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw a small current of light lavender (closer to pink) electricity dart from her index finger and onto her thumb before disappearing. Disregarding it, she looked down upon the person that had been a contributing factor to her timid nature and felt her rage return once more.

Hiashi was stunned as he stood there watching the spectacle. He desperately tried to resume a façade of indifference to the scene but he simply couldn't. His eldest daughter enraged? He didn't even know she was capable of experience such an emotion since she was incessantly shy ever since her mother died during child birth. He was jolted from his thoughts when she finally moved towards her fallen sister.

Stooping down, she picked up Hanabi by the hair and turned her bloodied and teary face to a shell-shocked Hiashi while whispering into her ear "You chose him over the only person left in this world who loved you. Mom would be disgusted with what you've become. But don't worry. You can have him. I've found someone far more deserving of my attentions."

Hanabi just groaned in pain.

Dropping her face back to the floor, she stood up and departed to claim what was hers leaving two gob smacked Hyugas in her wake.

_**With Sasuke**_

As he viewed through the hospital window, Sasuke couldn't help but feel ecstatic. He had his Sharingan. He had one of his brothers back and a chance to regain his family jewel the Fan Scroll, no pun intended. His body had healed in record time which really surprised the doctors but he just attributed it to being a badass. Only issues he really had were his growing pains.

For the past three nights, he had been in severe pain in pretty much every part of his anatomy. 'Puberty I guess.' He distracted himself by imagining different ways to kill Itachi but it only worked to an extent. That and he had been experiencing overheating where his body would just heat up causing him to soak his bed sheets in sweat. He had no explanation for these symptoms but he figured that they would go away sooner or later.

He looked up at the Hokage monument and looked at Naruto's father, the Yondaime Hokage 'Who would have thought that Naruto would have such kickass lineage. His father got the position that Orochimaru AND my dad failed to acquire. I'm lucky Naruto isn't the type of person to brag otherwise I'd never hear the end of it.' Chuckling at this, he looked to the sky where he found something peculiar. A single storm cloud floated in the sky. That wasn't the strange part though. The cloud was dark PINK and moving rapidly towards the Academy training grounds as if it had a mind of its own. 'What the-'

"Uchiha-sama, we have your breakfast for you. Would you like to be fed?" he heard a feminine voice which he guessed to be a nurse. Turning around to accept it, the nurse gasped in shock. Looking down, he remembered he had taken off his shirt to cool off. He also noticed his body to be very defined and stronger than he knew himself to be. Once again he attributed it to being a badass.

Blushing, the nurse set down the food on his bed and walked up to him. She was moderately attractive with long brown hair and dark brown eyes. She had a somewhat upturned nose and a medium sized (B-cup) bust. 'Meh. I'm an avenger anyway. No time for such nonsense.'

"Uchiha-sama…..I can provide many more services for you…..what do you say?" she whispered in his ears breathily.

Sasuke, oblivious as he was, couldn't tie the clues together "What kind of services could I possible want?"

"I can think of a few…if you'd let me…."

As she ran her hand up and down his chest, he gently grasped her hand and moved it. She moved it back. He stepped back. She stepped forward. Sasuke gulped. She licked her lips.

Just then, his doctor walked into the room saving Sasuke from a potential rape in the making. In a very unUchiha-like fashion, Sasuke ran behind the doctor where he hid for safety. 'Fangirls it's always fucking FANGIRLS!'

The doctor looked at something on his board and smiled at Sasuke who had finally stopped cowering "You're free to go, Uchiha-sama. Everything checks out great but the question still remains….how did you end up here in the first place?"

"Well first of all-" Sasuke paused. 'Wow my voice got deep too. Shit! Fangirls are gonna be all over my ass!'

Shifting his eyes to the nurse behind the doctor, he saw her unbuttoning her coat while her eyes spelled his doom.

'Case in point!'

"Okay doc. Here's my queue. I gotta go train and all that."

"But you didn't answer my-" But that was all he could say before Sasuke grab his clothes and jumped through the hospital window. Freefalling, he turned his head to see the nurse standing by the window. "Please be a civilian, please be a civilian…" he prayed over the blurring wind.

The nurse jumped through the window like….well…like a ninja "Ohhhhhhh Saaaasukeee! Come Back?"

"I MOST CERTAINTLY WILL NOT!"

_**With Naruto**_

"This village is most unyouthful…" Lee sighed.

"That's putting it lightly but we can change that Lee…everything." Naruto exclaimed.

"What are you thinking, my youthful comrade?" Lee inquired genuinely interested.

"Imagine it Lee. We train ourselves to the bone, acquire the power we need so that no one can put us down, leave this accursed village and live wild and free without loyalty to anyone but ourselves. We'll accomplish all the goals we set for our lives without interference and introduce this world to a New Age! An Age where no one experiences the horrors we've faced." He turned to Lee smiling mysteriously "We'll find our own path in this world Lee. A path no one has ever dared to walk before….Do you want to walk this path with me Lee?"

Lee thought deeply about Naruto's proposal. Here was somebody who had a genuine interest in his allegiance. No sketchy contracts. No misplaced loyalty. 'No betrayal…' Just someone seeking a place in the world just like him. Added to that fact was that Naruto was offering him the opportunity to become a COMPLETE ninja with a full arsenal asking nothing in return but to defy a world that was grossly corrupted. 'Did this village really try to cure me? I read about the legendary Sannin and one of them was the world's greatest medical ninja. Did they even try to call her in?' His choice was pretty much made for him.

Bowing lowly, Lee smiled "My talents are yours to command, my youthful liege."

Naruto punched Lee on the shoulder "Stop being weird!"

The two of them burst out laughing and for a moment all was well.

.

.

.

"Stop grabbing my penis, you twisted harpies!"

Well it was nice while it lasted….

Bursting from the tree line was one Sasuke Uchiha being followed by at least 60 members of the opposite sex and disturbingly…..three from the same all screaming and grabbing at parts of his anatomy. Sasuke barrel rolled between the two of them and pushed them together forming a protective wall from the rabid fangirls….and boys. "Save me, you fools!"

"You sure you want to insult the ones protecting you?" Naruto chuckled at Sasuke over his shoulder.

"mmmsorrymmm" Sasuke mumbled.

"Can't hear yooouuuu!"

"I'm sorry okay?! Now would you please-"

"All right all right. I'll save you." Naruto smiled "But it'll cost you."

Before Sasuke could ask what, Naruto cleared his voice and faced the crowd "Okay ladies…and boys you don't have to go home but you gotta get the hell up outta here! The kid's not interested in any of you."

"Hey he's cuter than Sasuke. So HOT!" one voice chirped.

"He looks like the Yondaime and look at those sexy purple eyes!" another piped in.

"Hey everyone, my dad's mansion like totally has a basement and he's gone on a business trip to Tetsu no Kuni or something. We should like totally kidnap that sexy blonde and Sasuke and have our way with them and stuff." said a third in the most recognizable teenage drawl.

A squeal of agreement echoed from the crowd deciding the fate of the two ninja trainees and paining Naruto's sensitive ears somewhat.

"And that one in the green body suit looks delicious. I want some of that meat all for myself!" a male voice entered the fray with his companions grunting in agreement.

There was silence. "Wait a minute…" No one spoke as Lee looked across to Naruto who was wearing a black tee and khaki shorts, to Sasuke who was wearing a blue high collar shirt and white shorts and finally down at his green body suit "Fuck me!"

"Gladly!" as the crowd moved closer to the doomed trio.

Lee reached down and took off his weights throwing them to either side causing moderately sized craters before dashing off in a blur of speed "Fuck you Gai!"

"Where are you going?" Naruto called out.

"Worry for yourself!" Lee quipped.

"But I thought we were comrades!" Naruto cried.

"Comrades my anus!" Lee's body disappeared over the horizon.

And then there were two…..

"Sooo…..how about a cup of sake to ease the nerves ladies?"

"How about you smell some of this chloroform?! Let's get them girls!"

Suddenly, a pinkish lightning bolt struck the gap between the two parties.

A plume of smoke rose in its aftermath. The sound of something landing lightly on the scorched grass alerted Naruto of another presence. Even through the smoke, he could smell her lovely lavender hair, her bubblegum lip gloss, her cinnamon bun breath….Kami he was hooked. He looked down and saw his pulsing erection. 'Since when does my dick have a faster reaction time than I do? Well at least we both have good taste. But there's always time to sort things out later.' But first he had to escape these girls and find out where the hell that pink lightning bolt came from. "Hina-"

"Get the fuck away from my property, you harlots!"

"-ta?"

The smoke finally cleared to reveal a somewhat…..different Hinata Hyuga.

The previous 4"6 Hinata was now a solid 5"0 with long midnight lavender locks accentuated with pinkish highlights that billowed down her back reaching the crest of her round yet firm butt. Her lovely hair cradled her oval face which was currently contorted in a snarl. Her eyes were what scared him as the pupil and iris were slitted pink while the sclera was jet black and demonic looking. From her ruby lips to her swan like neck to her now generous C-cup bust which Naruto was sure would now be his "breast friends". He was completely entranced by her presence and surprising bloodlust.

"Hey bitch, wait your turn!"

Hinata turned her head to the offending girl "What did you say to me?"

"I said to hand over those two pieces of sweet ass you've got there behind you. We already have rotation schedules and everything."

A couple of girls nodded in agreement. Hinata shook her head chuckling darkly.

"What's so funny?"

"I think it's funny that you think you can **TOUCH MY MATE!" **Hinata finished in a demonic boom causing all the girls to flinch.

"**GET. OUT. OF. MY. SIGHT!" **Hinata growled in disdain causing all the girls to stumble over in each other in order to get away from her.

Naruto and Sasuke just sat there mouths agape as the crowd dispersed. Kurama was mysteriously quiet as well.

When the clearing was finally empty expect for the obvious three, Hinata beamed at Naruto as her scleras returned to their original shade "Are you okay Naruto-kun?"

Not trusting his himself to speak, Naruto simply nodded.

She then turned to Sasuke with an uninterested gaze "Sasuke."

Sasuke, surprisingly being the more open of the two, spoke up "What the hell was that about?! And why was your voice so-"

"Wait a sec…" They noticed that there were bulges around her eyes showing that she had activated her Byakugan. He eyes widened before narrowing.

"Those strange ANBU are on their way!" Hinata panicked as she grabbed Naruto's hand and ran to the tree line.

All three of them took to the trees while minimizing their chakra output. After ten minutes of high speed tree hopping, they burst from the tree line and found themselves in an uninhabited clearing and they stopped when Naruto shrugged off Hinata's hand.

Feeling somewhat rejected, Hinata reached out to him "Is there something wrong Naruto-kun?"

Sensing her plight, he caressed her cheek "Nothing I just feel something strange here…."

The jinchuriki instinctively walked to his right, stuck out his hand and felt a thin film. A feeling he could describe…..like there was something hiding here.

"We're just behind the Hokage Monument 4 kilometers from the Nara's Deer Reserve Naruto. There's nothing here." said Hinata.

Suddenly, a blue array of strange sign and symbols began to extend from his point of contact to a 20 inch diameter in a circular pattern.

"What the hell is that?" Sasuke whispered to Hinata.

"I don't know but those ANBU are closing in…" Hinata replied anxiously.

"It's a puzzle…" Naruto spoke almost entranced as his fingers began to move hypnotically applying even more symbols on top of the ones there.

"You're freaking me out Naruto…." Sasuke warned.

"I'm freaking myself out Sasuke…" Naruto whispered as he flicked his wrist sending his array on top of the other one and they all watched as his symbols began to meld into the strange circular pattern.

There was nothing. Somewhat disappointed, Naruto turned his back "Hmmm. Guess it was a false alaaaaaahhhh" His voice strayed as he was pulled into the pattern disappearing completely in a flash of light.

"NARUTO!" Hinata jumped head first into the pattern disappearing as well in a flash of light.

Sasuke noticed the symbol rapidly closing as he too jumped into the array just missing the ROOT ANBU that had appeared in the clearing.

The four of them looked in random direction in search of their quarry finding nothing in terms of sight.

"Comb the area. Find them." the apparent leader spoke emotionlessly.

They searched thoroughly passing straight through the film without feeling anything or sensing anything at all.

"We require a Hyuga." One of them stated.

"Lord Danzo has yet to acquire one. We shall make do." the leader replied.

"Nothing anywhere Captain."

"I see. We shall take to the trees. Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga must be continually observed for all abnormalities. Danzo suspects something of them. Something which we must find out."

Nodding, the unit took to the trees once again leaving the mysterious clearing…..

_**Elsewhere….**_

A flash of light spat out three pubescent-looking children on soft grassy ground, all in compromising positions. Naruto found himself underneath Hinata with his head cradled in her lovely "valley" of bosoms. They both smiled for obvious reasons.

Sasuke however landed on his back with his body bent oddly since his legs were over his shoulders. The sad part was that his crotch was dangerously close to his face.

Correcting his body, he wasn't quick enough as Naruto and Hinata saw everything.

Naruto began to chuckle as Hinata moaned feeling his body rumble against her sensitive chest.

Naruto eyes bulged out of his head "H-Hinata a-are y-you wearing a b-bra?"

Hinata looked away shyly "A-Ano…..I-I didn't really need one till this morning…."

Fearing he might do something he'll regret, he lifted her off his body to sit up only to find her legs locked tightly around his torso.

"Hinata I can't mooff!" Naruto couldn't finish as his mouth was suddenly attacked. Her previously submissive tongue invaded his oral cavern with possessive vigor. 'What's with the sudden mood swing?' Trying to caress her tongue softly only to be pinned again, Naruto realized that this kiss served a particular purpose. She was molding her taste….her essence onto him to stake her claim. Marking her territory in a way. He smiled and allowed himself to be dominated.

Hinata was determined to have her way with him. No more blushes, no more innuendos, just her and him. Her lips slowed to a gentle glide over his in an intimate caress. He had finally submitted himself to her so there was no need to attack him anymore. 'Good boy….very good boy.' She finally left his lips to find him dazed and compliant as he should be. She saw him lick his now pink lips; to remove her lip gloss or savor her taste she didn't know.

"Good! Now Naruto you must know tha-"

"Guys you have got to see this…" Sasuke's voice interrupted.

"We're having a moment Sasuke. Now be a good boy and go away." Hinata replied eyes not leaving Naruto's.

"WOULD YOU STOP TRYING TO RAPE NARUTO FOR ONE MINUTE AND TURN THE FUCK AROUND?!" Sasuke yelled at his wit's end.

Untangling themselves and turning around, they found something they won't soon forget. A relatively small red and black mansion (when compared to the Hyugas) stood proudly in a clearing surrounded by a long circular red wall and black gate. The gate stood erect, at least 15 feet tall, with intricate red swirls on either side. Two long black dragons weaved amongst the swirls before meeting at the top in an 'S' shape in both sides. Their eyes glowed an eerie red before a square piece of paper with a swirl appeared before them on the gate.

Naruto stepped forward without a word and bit his thumb.

"Naruto what are you doing?" Sasuke inquired.

"Don't know but I have a hunch on something…" Naruto mysteriously smirked before he pressed his thumb against the paper. They all watched as the paper absorbed his blood and glowed blue. Naruto tried to pull his thumb only to find it stuck. Then he felt a pull and realized his chakra was being drawn out of him forcefully. Considering his massive and potent reserves, he found no issue with this.

Hinata and Sasuke watched as a white barrier around came into view around the entire estate. They gasped as they saw the barrier turn to a strange purple hue before disappearing once more…

They all heard a clink as the piece of paper disappeared finally releasing Naruto's finger. The gate creaked open as Naruto stepped back stumbling slightly. Hinata was by his side immediately to support him "Naruto-kun are you okay?"

Naruto smiled warily as he regained his footing "Yeah…pant…just a little winded. It took a lot more chakra than I thought it would."

Then all three of them walked through the gate only to have it close immediately on them. As they walked closer to the black front door, Hinata and Sasuke slowed to observe the scenery. It was a very beautiful mansion with beautiful flowers to be found on either side of the pathway they were walking that led to the front door.

'I love to press flowers! Here's gonna be my favorite place from now on….' Hinata beamed to herself as she bent down and picked an orchid.

Sasuke hated flowers. Flowers meant bees. Bees meant pain. Pain interrupted his brooding.

Naruto looked around and smiled "Ka-san must have planted them. They're beautiful…"

After admiring the lovely flora, the trio walked to the doorway and placed his hand on the doorknob. He felt his blood and chakra being drawn in once more but on a smaller level "Wow….my parents sure weren't sticklers for security. Three different check points to make sure I was of their lineage…."

"Well it's a given. After all, it's supposed protect your mother's heritage and your father's secrets." Hinata reasoned.

"Heritage?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Naruto's mother is a Kenjutsu master from a village-clan called Uzushiogakure who specialized in advanced fuinjutsu so much so that the ninja world is still struggling to catch up to this day. When her village was destroyed, she came to the village but she refused to share her clan scrolls and the village have been trying to get them ever since." Hinata explained.

"What did the village do?" Sasuke inquired.

"They ostracized her and treated her like scum for her entire life here." Naruto finished "Two generations of hate for this village flow through me. It's time for some retribution I'd say…."

Opening the door finally, they entered what Naruto expected to be the living room. The entire room followed the exact same color scheme of red and black. A red plush three seat sofa was surrounded by a red recliner and a red two seat lounger all upon a mahogany wood floor that give the room a wealthy glow. In front of the furniture laid an obsidian black plush floor rug with an actual pure obsidian mantle for a quaint but well sized fire place. Above the fireplace was a picture of his mother and father in their jounin uniforms. The picture was entitled "Our Second Greatest Accomplishment."

His mother was beautiful with gorgeous red hair and piercing purple eyes. But when he saw his father he knew immediately where he got his looks from. The hair, the eyes (well what his used to look like), the body structure and jawline are matched his perfectly. It was like staring into a mirror.

Hinata and Sasuke saw the pictures too but had different reactions.

Hinata was jealous of Kushina's luscious figure, although she knew she wasn't finished growing yet, and star struck by Minato who had all of Naruto's devilish looks down to the high beam smile. He lacked the mischievous twinkle Naruto's eyes had but Hinata reasoned that it must have come from his mother.

Sasuke was downright intimidated. 'These are Naruto's parents…' Minato was the only ninja awarded the SS-class after the Third Shinobi War with a Flee on Sight in all bingo books. And his mother was beauty outclassing any creature he had ever seen before. Not to mention, her stance showed limitless experience and he had a feeling that the wicked looking sword on her back was definitely NOT for show.

Both of them snapped out of their trances when they heard a terrified scream. Seeing Naruto had seemingly disappeared, they ran through the kitchen and dashed up the high design staircase.

What they found was heart wrenching to say the least. A broken Naruto in sitting up fetal position in front of an open door, sobs wracking his body. Hinata ran to his side to console him while Sasuke entered the room to see what caused the fiasco. Upon entering the room, he immediately understood Naruto's distress. It was a nursery. Naruto's nursery to be more exact. A constant reminder of the family he would never have…

"Shut the door Sasuke." Hinata said eyes not leaving her love.

"But we should at lea-" Sasuke began.

"SHUT THE FUCKING DOOR SASUKE!" Hinata screamed.

Sasuke looked at her for a moment before complying. 'Naruto probably doesn't need to face that right now anyway…' The person's in question sobs finally cooled to a whimper as he looked up to find his two friends looking at him in general concern. Even Sasuke which said something. 'At least I have them. That says something.' He smiled slightly and looked at Hinata who smiled back before kissing on his cheek and lifting him to stand up again.

"You alright bro?" Sasuke inquired.

"Naru-kun I was so worried about you…" Hinata added.

'Sure I've lost my original family to this village. But I have a replacement that I wouldn't change for the world. I'll protect them with my life!' Naruto thought determinedly.

"Yeah guys. I'm okay. How bout we finish this tour?" Naruto bowed and outstretched his hand like that of a waiter.

"Why thank you sir." Hinata giggled as she walked passed.

"Whatever dobe." Sasuke smirked before Naruto tripped him "Oof!"

"How unmannerly of the Uchiha, wouldn't you say Lady Hyuga?" Naruto inquired in his "rich" voice after he had caught up to her.

"Indeed Sir Namikaze." Hinata replied in her best noble voice.

After regaining his footing, Sasuke just scowled and caught up with the duo. They explored the house further as they returned to the large kitchen to find the fridge fully stocked with a fresh variety of exotic and local foods.

"Impossible. How are all these foods still so fresh?" Sasuke exclaimed.

"We live in a world where people can control the elements, tame demons and cast illusions with a mere gaze. I don't think anything's impossible Sasuke." Hinata scolded.

"I do find it strange that everything is brand new as if the house has been in stasis the entire time." Naruto reasoned.

"That would explain that barrier around the house." Sasuke offered.

"That barrier must have doubled as security as well as stasis. It must have been reinforced with your chakra but I think the stasis is off now though." Hinata added.

"So are the wonders of Uzumaki fuinjutsu. I plan to learn it as soon as possible." Naruto finished.

The trio conversed about many aspects of the compound as they walked throughout the different halls both upstairs and downstairs finding simple yet exquisite baths, and bedrooms, 6 and 10 respectably. "It already has a female touch." Hinata pouted "It has no use for my decoration plans."

"You can do as you wish Hime. After all, I don't plan to stay here by myself." Naruto smiled at her.

"My father most likely won't let me regardless of your lineage Naruto. He's always hated the Yondaime for some reason."

"Can I stay here?" Sasuke mumbled causing Naruto and Hinata to turn to him simultaneously.

"Sure but those ANBU stationed outside your house can be problematic…" the prankster stated.

"My father has little interest in me anyway as I spend many nights at Kure-nee anyway. I can simply use that as a rouse to come here." Hinata beamed as she inwardly thought of the things she would do to Naruto as he slept 'Kukuku…'

"Then I guess I'll make "friends" with Kurenai as well to create my rouse as well." Sasuke shrugged.

"You sure the ANBU will fall for the number one emo hanging out with someone? And besides this seems like a lot of pressure to place on Kurenai-chan." Naruto worried.

An idea struck Sasuke "How about we meet under the rouse of dates? Hinata's father will see a clan advantage by his daughter courting the last Uchiha and the Council will leave me to do as I please! Everyone wins!"

"Except me…" Hinata grumbled and crossed her hands under her bust.

"I'm an avenger…." Sasuke looked at Naruto "…until further notice. I have no need for such relations."

"Hinata, be niii…." Naruto trailed off as his eyes found a better focal point at her bust.

"Eyes up here big boy." Hinata smiled, secretly happy that Naruto liked her body.

"Yea…yes!" Naruto cleared his throat as he finally tore his eyes away "That plan will work to everyone's advantage."

They continued their stroll until they reached the back of the compound where they found an indoor dojo which Naruto and Sasuke immediately fell in love with. On a wall to their far left, there was a large assortment of weapons ranging from katanas to Bo staffs to naginata to numchucks. Basically every modern ninja weapon known. Naruto and Sasuke drooled over armors and weapons while Hinata found herself strangely attracted to a single lavender and silver bow. The wood seemed exceptionally strong as there was a strange silver metal on either side of the length. She picked it up and a pink drawstring made of pure chakra appeared. She tested the drawstring and found it to be VERY strong as she required a lot of strength but she managed to pull it all the way while straining somewhat. She found a large quiver of arrows (at least 40). She placed it on her back and nocked one on her bow. She aimed at one of the dummies on her far right, at least 35 feet, and released. The arrow soared through the air and obliterated a hole in the dummy's shoulder before hitting the wall.

This captured the attention of Naruto and Sasuke who gasped at the destruction of a SINGLE arrow.

"Naruto I am so so-" Hinata apologize quickly.

"That was fucking AWESOME! How did you do that?" Naruto exclaimed.

"I just pulled and released and that happened…"

"The arrows must be chakra enhanced." Sasuke reasoned.

"Try pumping so chakra into them Hinata." Naruto asked eagerly.

Do as asked of her, she nocked another arrow and attempted to pump chakra into it only to have the drawstring disappear and the bow clasp on itself. She noticed that the bow, in this form, doubled as a knuckle bracer that could amplified any damage she could cause. I also protected the sides of her arms as well. She marveled at the simply yet effective function and the many application in could have when fighting close ranged. Hinata channeled chakra once again to have the bow open for her. "The arrows must have enough chakra in them already. Must be a safety precaution."

"Well I think we've found Hinata's weapon of choice. Her aim is pretty awesome for a beginner." Naruto smiled.

"Hyugas don't use weapons." Hinata spoke sadly eyes not leaving the bow.

"While you're on these grounds, you just won't be a Hyuga." Naruto said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Whose name will I carry then?" Hinata inquired suggestively.

"You walked right into that one." Sasuke patted Naruto on the shoulder.

"Uh ummm hey look at that sword!" Naruto shifted subjects as he reached for a katana and picked it up and pulled it from its plain black sheath.

He spun the blade smoothly before he moved it into a reverse grip close to Sasuke trachea. "You're pretty good with that blade huh? Let's test that." Sasuke jumped back, reached into his pockets and drew 8 shurikens. He flung them in rapid succession.

"NARUTO!" Hinata screamed.

For Naruto, it was child's play. He saw the first one approach and he swung his blade in a side arc deflecting it. The second and third followed as he moved to blade to his body in a reverse grip blocking them with two simple movements. A quick downward strike and two fencing jabs dealt with 4 through 6 while the 5th shuriken nicked his shoulder. He spun his blade much like a staff keeping it close to his body and deflected number 7 and 8 though the 8th shuriken grazed him on the forearm. Both abrasions healed instantly. All this happened within the span of three seconds.

Hinata's mouth was agape. She didn't know it was possible for someone to move that fast with a blade.

"Just as I suspected. You inherited your mother's skill in Kenjutsu." Sasuke smirked.

"You could have killed him!" Hinata yelled.

"But did he die?"

"No but-"

"Hinata relax. I'm okay. Sasuke's right. It was like I could see where each shuriken was heading and my body moved accordingly. No biggie see? Pretty awesome if I may say so."

"Okay but don't do it again." She pouted.

"Okay princess." He turned to Sasuke "Now you choose one."

Sasuke went through all the weapons feeling them out but not really feeling a connection with any of them. He reached the bottom of the wall and picked up a pair of black trench knives with blue edges and tested them out. "These feel okay."

Naruto swung his katana in an overhead strike only for Sasuke to block it "Good. Wanna exchange?"

"Sure." Naruto tried out the trench knives and found that although he could use them effectively, they still didn't feel as natural as his katana.

Sasuke tried out a few swings and found the same. Katanas were kickass but he liked the trench knives more.

"I want to learn how to wield a katana someday definitely but until I do I'm gonna stick with my trench knives."

Naruto nodded and sheathed his katana and placed it back as well as Hinata who, with reluctance, left her bow on the walls before they all left. They went upstairs and found a room they had previously missed. They opened the door and wondered how many eye shockers they were going to get from this house. It was a study. A large study equipped with 4 large bookcases all in front of a single large red logwood desk. While Hinata and Sasuke wandered through the bookcases, Naruto headed straight for the desk. He sat in the smooth leather chair with reverence thinking of his father. He glanced down and saw the only picture on the desk was his mother beaming with a swelled stomach. 'She looks so happy.'

"**She was always blabbering about you after she got your name from your father's sensei. Naru-chan this, Naru-chan that. When she found out, she would spend ALL day telling me about her plans for you as she couldn't tell anyone else. Unfortunately for me, you existence was an affront to Iwa so it was a security risk to tell anyone but the Kage…"**

'That sounds like something I would do….you know…If I was a girl and stuff.'

"**You resemble her a lot sometimes with your love for ramen and inexhaustible energy."**

He smiled sadly 'Kurama-sensei, do you think it's dumb to miss something you never had?'

"**Sometimes it's the things you never had that keeps you going when you want to die. Let their memory serve as an engine in all your endeavors and you will find that you are never truly alone…"**

'…Thanks Sensei.'

"**Whatever." **Kurama smirked as he severed the link.

He looked at the papers on the desk. They were about some seal called the Shiki Fujin Fuin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal). There were also some papers on the Eight Trigrams Containment Seal. Naruto put together that his father must have somehow combined these seals to reseal Kurama into him. He must have created this seal on the fly. 'No wonder he was a prodigy…' The Shiki Fujin Fuin was the one that he concerned himself with the most. This was the seal that placed his father in the Shinigami's stomach in the first place.

'Hey Kurama-sensei?'

"**What?"**

'How do you attract the attention of the Shinigami?'

"**You die. But I don't suggest this because I don't want to die."**

'Other than dying?'

"**Hmmmm. From what I can gather, the things that piss off the Shinigami most are those that defy or escape death. Since he can't interfere in the affairs of the living, he simply has to wait for them to screw up and die in battle before he can eat them and condemn them to his stomach for all eternity."**

'So what do I do then?'

"**I don't know. Kill some immortals and hand them over to him or something?" **Kurama joked.

'That's a great idea! But he might just collect their souls and ignore me completely…Aha! I'll just seal their souls until he has to meet with me!'

"**I was joking! I wasn't serious! Interfering in the affairs of gods is dangerous business and the Death God is the most dangerous of them all kit!"**

'I'll just be making an exchange then. Appealing to his better nature and all that. My father for the souls of some immortals. He'll have to release Dad then!'

"**Haha! You have balls for miles kit! I'll back you one hundred percent but just be careful okay? I promised your father that you won't be joining him anytime soon and messing with the Shinigami might land you in his stomach."**

'Okay.'

Placing all the different papers in a side draw, he dug around in the draws to see what he could find. He found books on Fuinjutsu 'yes!', from novice to master, ideas for some pretty interesting jutsu 'Oh yea!', how to create ninjutsu 'FUCK YES!', and three journals. One from his mother, one from his father and one from some woman named Hitomi Hyuga. He put away the ones from his parents.

"Hey Hinata! I got a book here for some woman named Hitomi Hyuga!" Naruto yelled.

Dashing from the aisles, Hinata ran up to Naruto and snatched the book from him "Hitomi's my mother!"

Sasuke walked up to them "Must be family friends."

"Just my mom though. My father hates Minato remember?"

"Player hatin' should be illegal sometimes…."

"Oh Naruto-kun." Hinata giggled "Do you want me to read it for you?"

"I don't know….It seems pretty personal. You're better off reading it to yourself."

"Okay."

Seeing it locked with a piece of paper on the lock, Hinata bit her thumb and wiped it on the seal and heard a click. She opened it and began reading:

_September 4__th_

_My name is Hitomi Hyuga and I'm starting the Ninja Academy tomorrow. My mom got me this diary today. Some stuff about "standing on the precipice of a new chapter of my life and the need to document it." Pfft. Whatever that means. _

_My mom's awesome but sometimes she takes things SO seriously sometimes. It was the same thing with the Caged Bird thing all over. "Responsibility this" "Servitude that". It's SO overrated. I run to the beat of my own drum and clan and forehead seal be damned. The Main Branch is filled with jerks anyway. _

_Anyway, tomorrow's gonna be an eye opener I guess. I heard that all the clan heirs are gonna be there. Even that baka Hiashi from our clan! He's so smug sometimes, always pointing at my forehead and chuckling. Calling me words like "uncouth" and such. Bologna! There's a big word! Let him suck on that! I hate him so much I wanna barf! His brother is so friendly though. I honestly can't believe they're brothers._

_Well wish me luck. In four years, I'll be covering my forehead with an awesome headband instead of this dumb piece of cloth._

_Ja ne!_

Hinata paused here smiling at what she'd read. Her mother in many ways reminded her of Naru8to. She turned the page and resumed:

_October 12__th_

_Whew! Tough month much? A lot has happened and a lot I gotta say so I'll start from the beginning of this whirlwind I've found myself in._

_On the very first day, there were a lot of people. A lot of them civilians. They didn't look really serious though. They're acting like it's just a hobby and stuff. Not me! I came with my game face on! Set them up and I'll knock 'em all down! I have an advantage of my Ka-san teaching me taijutsu before coming to the Academy so I'll be at least competent in that field._

_I made friends with a really nice girl named Tsume. She's the heiress of the Inuzuka clans. People pick on her and call her "dog girl" but I still think she's cool. I even met this REALLY cool girl named Kushina. I have a feeling that she's not from around here. At first, she lashed out at everyone because they made fun of her hair and stuff. Everyone avoids her like she's the plague or something but I think she's really pretty and her red hair is nice too. At first, I was alone but as long as I have these two everything will be okay. _

_Also, we met this really cute guy named Minato. He's an orphan. It's so sad that a cute guy like him has no parents. He's REALLY smart though. And pretty good at taijutsu and he doesn't even have a clan! All the girls in the Academy are after him though. Me included but I'm NOT some weak fangirl like the rest of them. I'm strong. I hope my friends don't like him too much. Kushina's not a problem because the two of them always argue but Tsume has a thing for him as well. Ugh! Why does life have to be so difficult when guys are involved?!_

_Wish me luck. I hope he likes my homemade cinnamon buns!_

_Ja ne!_

Hinata was shocked. Not only did her mom know Naruto's mom but she also had a thing for his father "Guess good taste in men runs in the family…"

"YEA BOOOOIIIIII! Suck on that, SASGAY!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Hugging it close to her chest, she decided to finish it when she reached home. She left the study to find Naruto. She ran down the hall and found the master bedroom with Naruto and Sasuke playing go fish on a large bed. Hinata looked around the large room and found it to be as decorated as the other sections of the house. What caught her eye was the black and red blade lying next to Naruto.

"What's that you got there Naruto?"

"It's my mother's blade. I found it lying on the nightstand! Wasn't she awesome?"

"Only a relative of you will leave a weapon of warfare on a nightstand Naruto."

"Who asked you teme? She probably did it for convenience and stuff."

Hinata walked up to the bed to get a closer look. The scabbard (saya) was jet black with a red dragon design elongating up to the hand guard. The Habaki (Blade collar) and the Tsuba (Guard) consisted of a dragon's head with four black tendrils spiraling outwards as a mane making it look like the two dragons were fighting each other. (A/N: Think Zangetsu's hand guard. For those who don't know Bleach, just die. Your life has no meaning) The Tsuka (handle) was red with strange black Tsuka Ito (Cord wrap) leaving small red diamonds all the way to the pommel. The (Kashira) pommel was a dark red ending with a black chain which Hinata guessed would offer a new dimension of maneuverability that not many swords offered. All in all, it was the most beautiful weapon she had seen. She saw a piece of paper stuck under the hand guard. She took it and gave it to Naruto.

"Here you go Naruto. Was under the hand guard."

Naruto unwrapped it and read aloud: _Hey Sochi! Here's our family blade all the way from Uzushiogakure. Our village leader and my father, Kenchi Uzumaki gave it to me along with me along with the rest of our heritage before our island village was sieged. It's a very special blade as you will soon learn. It can also henge to keep its identity a secret as this will be helpful to you. It will stand by your side throughout all your battles as it has done with me. It will never leave you as long as your will is pure and strong. Love Ka-san._

Naruto smiled fondly and lifted the blade "Watch me Ka-san. I'll wield it in your honor."

As he unsheathed the blade, he felt a strong energy emitting from it filling him with a sense of completion. The blade was so black that it glowed with a red Hamon (Edge Pattern) which completed the look. But what surprised really surprised him was the fact that the blade was .5 meters longer than the average blade! It could fit on his back or his hip though Naruto thought that it would fit better on his hip. He found a sword belt in the nightstand drawer and attached the sword to it.

Snapping from his daze, he looked from his window and saw that it was getting late. He remembered something important that he had to address before they left. "Guys I gotta ask the two of you something."

Sensing the rare seriousness in his voice, they paid close attention.

"Your bodies have been going through very strange changes, haven't they? Besides from puberty that is."

Hinata blushed and forced herself to maintain eye contact "A-ano...I guess so. I-I do recently find myself to be more….w-womanly."

"Suuuuuure that's the word. You appeared in FUCKING PINK lightning bolt and scared off a group of fangirls that were trying to rape us!" exclaimed the Uchiha.

"Well actually I'm pretty thankful for her intervention. I really didn't feel like testing out my body's immunities against chloroform." The jinchuriki reasoned.

"Anyway the point is that our bodies changed over the past few days WAAY more than they're supposed to and quite frankly I want an explanation." Sasuke quipped.

"**I think I can help with that."**

Hinata and Sasuke turned to Naruto in confusion "You okay bro?"

"**Pardon me Uchiha scum but I've seized control of Naruto's vocal cords and until further notice, I'm NOT your brother." **Kurama spoke through Naruto casually as if discussing the weather.

"What's your problem?" Sasuke scowled.

"**You and those accursed eyes! It was one of your fucking ancestors that took control of me on the night of Naruto's birth!"**

"Sorry?" Sasuke replied. He didn't even know how to begin apologize to an ancient demon in the place of his "ancestor" who he knew nothing about.

"Umm Kyuubi-sama?" Kurama turned to the once timid Hyuga "I-I don't believe you can blame Sasuke on the misdeeds of his ancestor. A child is born in innocence without the sins of his father after all."

"**That's quite profound Hyuga. I see that my vessel chooses well in terms of mates. In the end, I suppose you are right but I still generally don't like Uchihas though." **The demon lord mused.

"Understandable. Frankly, I share your dislike of them whole heartedly. They are prideful, arrogant, foolish and all round narcissistic." Hinata conversed.

"**Indeed."**

"Still here you know. Aren't we supposed to be discussing our current predicament?" Sasuke brooded.

"**The fancy-eyed monkey is right. I came here to share a hypothesis concerning your physical changes. First of all, let me explain Naruto's chakra. It's a concoction of my youki, his Uzumaki chakra and the chakra from the seal in which I am confined. I had originally thought that this chakra would be a little unstable due to its origin and give Naruto a one-up in the three arsenals of the Ninja World. However, there are some things I didn't take into consideration. (1) The special Uzumaki chakra that I once though was unique only to Uzumaki women being in his chakra coils (2) The presence of residual energy from the Shinigami from the Yondaime's seal and (3) How my chakra would affect this cluster fuck."**

"So basically your chakra didn't play nice with the others?" Sasuke smirked.

Kurama turned to Hinata **"Can I kill him?"**

Hinata sighed "Naruto might cry for him and I hate to see my Naru-kun sad."

Kurama sighed as well **"I understand. Anyway, the monkey is right. My chakra didn't play well and this caused Naruto's new chakra to gain some sentience."**

Hinata's eye's widened "Sentience?!"

"**Yes and it was this chakra that was the catalyst behind your small scale metamorphoses."**

"But how did the chakra enter our systems?" Sasuke questioned.

"And why didn't it poison us? Isn't demon chakra poisonous to humans?" Hinata added.

"**Very good question, Hyuga." **

"Hey what about m-"

"**Basically, the other chakras lessened the potency of my own somewhat but this wasn't what saved you. His chakra would have still killed you all had it not been for the emotions he holds for the two of you. His chakra, I suspect, sensed these bonds and instead of killing you, it integrated itself in a more…friendly way to your bodies thus the changes."**

"But-" Sasuke started.

"**Yea yea. I'm getting to your question. It entered your systems through contact. Don't you remember instances where you all were in contact with Naruto when he was releasing vast amounts of his chakra?"**

Hinata thought back to Naruto's transformation when she reached through the haze of chakra that surrounded him "Oh yea…I remember."

Sasuke thought back to that bear hug he gave during his fight against Arashi "During our fight…."

"_**You mean during your ass-kicking? I don't remember you landing a single hit! Hahahaha!" **_Arashi intervened smugly.

"Shut up! I was on the rebound!" the avenger defended.

"_**Sure that's what you call it! Byeee SasGAY!" **_

Sasuke was left fuming in a corner with a dark cloud over his head tracing something in the carpet "But I was…"

"**Haha! He got you good Uchiha! Anyway, any more questions?"**

"Just one actually. What are the extent of our abilities?" Hinata inquired.

"**I actually don't know that one but if elemental manipulation was any indication, you all are gonnan have the general abilities Naruto has. Enhanced senses and body density and structure, increase in the potency of you chakra and things of the like. You won't have ALL of his abilities but it won't be anything to scoff at either. Also, emotions are gonna be your triggers most definitely. You all should learn to control those and soon. Anyway, I'm outta here."**

Hinata thought back to her fight against Hanabi. She knew that she had a LOT of apologizing to do to Hanabi and an explanation to her father…

Sasuke just kept brooding as Sasukes do realizing that his lack of emotions was why he had yet to show any abilities.

Naruto normal voice finally returned "So everyone's good?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well it's time for you all to go now. I would invite you to stay the night but Hiashi will probably be expecting you and the ANBU should be crying over their missingUchiha."

Everyone got up and left the room while conversing about miscellaneous shit I care not to write. They walked out to the front yard and Naruto bent down to pick a white hibiscus to give to Hinata.

"I still haven't defined our relationship yet but all I know is that I want you…"

"Yea?..." Hinata tucked the flower behind her right ear before smiling expecting more.

"No that's it. I want you. Simple and sweet. You belong to me now. Did you expect some beautiful mind-blowing analogy specifically crafted in my mind to make you drop your panties?" Naruto grunted.

"Well actually…yes." Hinata frowned.

Naruto simply bent down and kissed her on the cheek before embracing her gently in his strong arms while whispering in her "I don't know if I love you because I've never felt it for anyone before but I do know that this feels right. That and the mere smell of you gets me aroused. For the past three days, all I could think of was you. I'm new to all of this so let's just take things slow and be patient. I promise you I'm not going anywhere."

Hinata just smiled as she melted into his arms "Now that's better…"

Untangling from each other, much to Hinata's dismay, Naruto turned to Sasuke and leaned in close.

"Now Naruto you know I don't like you li-" Sasuke began.

"I'm almost finished planning the Fan Scroll Heist. Give me two more days and come back here for it." Naruto whispered.

Sasuke nodded in understanding.

Hinata watched the exchange calculatingly and decided to let it slide. For now anyway.

"What are you gonna do now?" Sasuke asked.

"I have a mansion full of secrets from two legendary ninja. I'm gonna train my ass off." he grinned.

He then bit his finger and smeared it on the gate seal for it to open. The two clan heir waved at the Jinchuriki as the gate closed before disappearing in a flash of light.

Turning back to his estate, Naruto smirked and began walking "Time to train…"

Okay! That's a wrap. I hope I'm improving as I go along. You may also notice that the chapters are getting longer in length. That's actually unintentional but I did say I wanted it to be epic in length.

I was going for three things in this chapter:

(1) A smooth introduction of Lee into the general plot.

(2) The discovery of the Namikaze estate.

(3) Enough pairing fluff for all those fluff lovers.

Anyway, review and follow according to how good it was. I'm not gonna ask for 100 review for writing shit so….


	6. Chapter 6

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

….So I think it's time to do two things: 1) Bring out a new chapter after a hopeful long-awaited wait and 2) Clear up a few misconceptions about my story. Firstly, for those who think that this is going to be an eloquently structured work of literature filled with romance and adventure, STOP reading. This story isn't for you. This story will appeal to my three major interests in literature: Explosions, Women and Rebellion. If you aren't into these, you should honestly stop while you're ahead.

I read a few of my reviews and like I said before the flames didn't really phase me. All except one. Just from reading this one review, I have gathered that this "author" believes I've twisted the plot, characters and all round setting of the original work by Kishimoto into something unnatural and immature. My response to this is that just about ANYTHING can be considered an improvement from the original "masterpiece".

But I digress. My point here is that on this site we can correct the crimes we feel were committed on our favourite media of entertainment. NOT to correct others on their perspective. Since I've joined this site, I have not posted ONE SINGLE FLAME on another dudes story. This is my first story and although I can't expect the same courtesy I won't tolerate flames that judge my individuality. That's the one thing rattles me somewhat. For those who are in it for the long run, I'll try my hardest not to disappoint. CRITICAL reviews and pointers are appreciated from members who at least have some experience in writing GOOD stories so as to improve my own.

Moving on, I know that I said I was going to enter Tsume into the mini-harem but I've decided against it for three reasons:

1) Tsume's way too old and even if I was to make her younger, she'll still be too "ugh".

2) Tsume's just not attractive enough.

Here's the list of Naruto's possible third mate: Anko, Mei, Yugito, Temari (iffy), Mabui (Raikage's sexy secretary, iffy), Samui, Fuu or Koyukie. I think I'll just wait and see how the story progresses. If it makes me seem indecisive, I'm sorry.

As for Sasuke and Lee, I have some pretty awesome female characters planned for them. Anyway, I thought the last chapter to be a bit erratic so I'm going try to slow down in the way I assemble my ideas. Here we go.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"**Demon talking"**

'**Demon thinking'**

"_**Arashi talking"**_

'_**Arashi thinking'**_

**Disclaimer: You know what it is…**

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 6**

**Revelations**

In the late hours of the night, a red silhouette can gliding over the dark rooftops of the red-light district languidly observing Konoha's night life in glances. The geishas, sake lovers and yakuzas paid it no mind as they went about their malfeasant activities. Its rubber sandals made no sound on the green tiled rooftops as it exited this district in the direction of the Hokage Tower. It landed three buildings away and observed the impressive structure with an analytical glasses covered eye.

The Tower was a deep red with a circular sign with kanji for "Fire" standing at least 700 feet tall easily the tallest building in the village. Not too many windows with the exceptions of the one on the top floor, presumably belonging to the Hokage which served as a viewpoint over the village and one on the bottom floor where the Mission Hall was located with a few located in between.

It pulled down the hoodie on its cloak to reveal short red hair framing an oval face with thick rimmed spectacles over red eyes. A red zipped up top covered her torso with a pair of black shorts. Feminine lips were curled in a snarl of condescension looking at the Hokage Tower with contempt.

This spy was none other than 15 year old Karin, medical administrator and loyal servant to Orochimaru. When she had been given the task of infiltrating the Hidden Leaf, she meekly replied that such a task would supersede her abilities. But Orochimaru calmly assured her that her sensor abilities and her unique healing abilities would make the mission quiet easy. 'Oh how I love the way his tongue glides over his words. It's near orgasmic.'

Karin was just another orphan child left in the wake of Kirigakure's civil war. On the streets, she found herself stealing and foraging for food. She dared not show her abilities after seeing what happened to the children that do. Being in Kiri's capital meant that bloodline users were under surveillance. Children who showed their "gifts" were whisked away never to be seen again…

Karin knew better though. Keep hidden and stay alive were her constant mantras. Fortunately for her, or unfortunately depending on the perspective, many ninja villages began a mad dash for bloodline users kidnapping orphans and rebels alike. A strange pale man appeared in the forest before her one day and showed her kindness unlike anyone else. He fed her, clothed her and taught her the basis of sciences he knew ranging from cosmology to biology to botany. She absorbed this information like a sponge and as he prepared to leave she begged him to take her with him swearing eternal love and loyalty. The man declared himself Orochimaru and further claimed her as his servant and disciple. She eagerly agreed.

He fed to her his hatred of Konoha and how the outcasted him when he proposed his research for immortality. He told her how they cut off his research funds on the grounds that experimentation, even on the lowest of scum like rapists or murderers, was a direct affront to humanity. What he DIDN'T tell her was that he often experimented on new born infants and was responsible for the deaths of almost 100 of them…

Though she loved him excruciatingly so, he had ordered her to commit a string of missions that, as of lately, left a very bad taste in her mouth. The most recent ones were the kidnapping of children from nearby villages in the hopes of creating his own village. She believed that these children deserved a chance at life that didn't involve the cruel edge of a kunai. But she held out on the hopes that he had a grand purpose for these acts that would be worth the childhood of these children.

She was glad with this mission though. It was relatively simple. Infiltrate the village and secure the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing for him. Konoha's defences were horribly lacking for the supposed "Strongest Elemental Village" and the infiltration had been easy enough. Her master had been correct in his rating of this mission, as always. She Shushined to a nearby hotel where she would rest until she deemed the time was right. Little did she know that she was experiencing the calm before the storm and that a maelstrom would soon be upon her….

_**Hyuga Compound**_

Hinata laid on her back with her head over the edge of the bed with the lavender highlighted tips of her luxurious hair touching her rich redwood floors holding her mother's diary upside down so she could read it. She didn't feel fatigued in the least even after her metamorphosis in the clouds. Her tinkering giggle echoed through her room as she thought of her father's reaction to her appearance….

_**Flashback begin (three hours ago)…**_

_Walking up to the gates, she wracked her brain for a solution to her newest conundrum. Her newly developed body, her unique hair preference and her behaviour that morning would all require an adequate explanation to placate her "father". Sighing, she called for the guards "Guards I require admittance to my home."_

_The guard, in obvious disbelief, walked closer to the gate for inspection. After a moment of deliberation amongst them, the first guard opened the gate while the other retreated into the house, presumably to get Hiashi. While she waited, an idea flittered across her brain. An idea so nefarious, so underhanded, so sinister that it might just work._

_Hiashi appeared in the doorway to the Main Branch countdown and looked intently at his daughter. Try as he did, he could not steel his features in the face of his eldest daughter's new appearance. His eyebrow rose somewhat which spoke a thousand words for a man who was rumoured to have kept an impassive face throughout his daughters' deliveries. His expression was unreadable as he spoke "May I ask the reason for your new appearance daughter?"_

_Hinata's facial expression matched his own with an impassive façade worthy of her last name. How she wished she didn't have resort to this answer but she reasoned it was necessary. A woman ace in the hole. The only excuse that could account for any bizarre behaviour! "I'm in my cycle."_

_A number of things happened simultaneously. The two Hyuga guards Shushined to a patch of bushes by the gate for apparent solace. A noticeable shiver jolted up Hiashi's spine completely destroying his composure. She smiled wickedly inwardly taking great pleasure in the fact that she could make one of Konoha's most powerful men so terrified. The question of exactly WHY he was so terrified eluded her though._

_Salvaging what little posture he had left, he stammered out "V-very well. You m-may go." Spinning on his heels, he retreated to his compound to escape the horrible "situation" that his daughter attempting to impose upon him. Turning back to the guards, she smiled a bit too sweetly "Are we done here?" They cautiously nodded retreating further into the bushes._

_Turning back and entering the compound, she murmured under her breath "Should've tried that more often…"_

_**Flashback ends**_

Her pink lips curled into a devilish smile as she thought of the things she could now accomplish. However, she quickly reminded herself that with great power came great responsibility and that her ace should only be used on the direst of situation.

Turning her attention back to her mother's journal, she marvelled at how much she had learned in the past few hours. Apparently, the reason her father disliked Minato so much was because he had beaten Hiashi for the title for the Rookie of the Year. Also, since her mother was in love with Minato and Hiashi later decided he wanted Hitomi all for him, this caused for a love pentagon of epic proportions. Minato had had many escapades with the women of Konoha which infuriated his fangirl trio of Hitomi, Tsume and Kushina. The three of them competed vigorously for his attention until Kushina finally managed to ensnare him with her charms. The three friends decided to hold no hard feelings and went their separate soon afterwards. Hinata frowned at how one guy could cause such chaos. She continued reading but not before noticing tear stains on the page:

_March 19__th_

_Two weeks ago, my mother suffered a fatal injury on a mission near the border of Kusagakure. A deadly necrotoxin was slowly destroying her body inside out. In her last days, she was surprisingly docile and reserved to her fate. She showed no sadness which angered and confused me. Why wasn't she afra- _

The ink smeared in circular pattern showing a tear shed. Hinata's own eyes watered thinking about how horrible it must have been to see your own mother waste away before your very eyes. It must have been a fate worse than death….

_We spent many a day in silence until one day her frail voice broke the silence and told me that it was up to me to unite the clan. Ka-san told me that this clan's system of branches was a poison that destroyed families and that eventually the clan would die out. She told me that the number of stillborn babies had been increasing due to inbreeding. She reasoned that she had tried her very hardest to change the clan by trying to woo Hiashi's father into a marriage in the hopes of uniting the two families but failed. I was shocked my mother could do something like that but I quickly realised that she was simply trying to unite the two families. She weakly begged me not to remember her as a harlot and I told her I could never do such a thing. I told her that I loved her dearly and that I would always love h- with all my heart._

_That night I could feel her becom- weaker. I could almost feel her soul preparing to leave her body. We both cried and told each other stories de- into the night. She held on till dawn and bef- she departed she spoke these words to me: "I failed to break our chains and unite our family so I entrust my mission to you. Try your hardest to save them, if you can…" I record these words to forev- remind myself of that day. Of that challenge she issued to me. Of that vow I made by her side._

_The entire Branch Family was in attendance for her funeral. As I delivered the eulogy, I saw that not a single Main Branch member was in attendance. Life returned to the usual pace as if noth- happened. I was so angry at them at first but I remember my mother's words and calmed myself. Her dreams will be met! This I promise!_

_The Jounin Exams are approaching. I will attend and raise my rank. I will then accept Hiashi's marriage proposal and change this clan no matter what. I, Hitomi Hyuga, will determine once and for all if this clan can be saved! Watch me, Ka-san!_

_And send me your blessings as well,_

_Ja ne._

Hinata just sat there, with tears streaming down her face. Her mother entered a loveless marriage just to honour her mother. Rubbing her eyes clean, she realised that the journal entries were becoming less and less. The thing that had filled her mother with so much happiness now became a reminder of how much she sacrificed. Steeling herself, she continued to the last reading:

_December 29__th_

_Well journal, it's been a long time since we last "spoke" and a lot has happened. I passed my Jounin Exams with flying colours. I manage to pass thanks to my unorthodox choice of weaponry, a silver bow. It was a skill that I had been developing for the past couple of months after experimenting with possible weapons for the Exams. I'm a natural as the Byakugan offers me range and accuracy unlike anything I've dreamed of. I named my bow after you Ka-san as I hope you will guide my ambitions as a bow guides its arrows. That was for you Ka-chan! I hope you're still with me. _

_Not everyone is supporting though. The Hyugas consider it blasphemy so I keep it at Kushina's home for safe keeping. I also got married to Hiashi Hyuga, clan head of the Hyuga Clan. To him, I just feel like something he stole from Minato-kun. It's ironic that I never belonged to Minato in the first. This marriage is the definition of the phrase "Trouble in Paradise" minus the Paradise part._

_It's been about 4 months since I married Hiashi and I'm two month pregnant. The smug bastard had the right to tell me I should be honoured to care for his offspring. Giving my virtue to him was the worst thing I ever experienced. I have nothing to compare him to but I'm pretty sure he's underequipped. I miss Minato so much sometimes it hurts but I won't interfere with their marriage. Kushina's practically glowing with happiness._

_Less than two months into the marriage and we've already had more fights than I've cared to count. He's as stubborn as a mule on his stand point of the Branch Family remaining as servants to the Main Family. I thought I could lead him to my point of view but I was wrong. I have failed to introduce my more flexible Jyuken into our curriculum as well as elemental and weapons training. The Elder Council has a mightier grip on his actions than I do. I suppose I have failed my mission…._

_The only thing I have to look forward to is this child growing in my womb. I care not for the conditions of its conception but I do love it so. I've always wanted a girl and I have a nagging feeling it's gonna be one. Sure I always imagined it would be in a different marriage with a different man but even its lineage can't bring me down off this lovely mood I'm in. I'm gonna name her what I was going to my child with Minato. She'll be named Hinata. The perfect mixture of our names. It'll be my little secret._

_At first, this journal was a way of keeping track of my life so that I could look back with Ka-san and/or my husband to reminisce on all our good times together. I now see that I was a fool to believe happiness would follow me in my life. Now that the two most important people in my life are now gone, I now see this journal as a way for my child to see the struggles I've gone through and to know that even though this marriage was loveless that he/she will be loved very much. If I know Hiashi, he'll probably try again, regardless of the sex to prove a point or to gain an heir. I hope that none of you will succeed him though. I also will be getting a blood seal for this journal soon enough from Kushina to secure my thoughts. _

_I realise now that this clan cannot be saved. Our division will never cease and our so-called traditions will be the cause of our demise. This shall be my last journal entry in the memory of my mother Hinako Hyuga. I hope you're still proud of me. I've tried and failed but I refuse to pass on this mission to my offspring. I will not burden them with struggles you and I faced. To my children, this clan is doomed for destruction so the most I can ask of you is to find people you love outside this clan and to live on happily. Do NOT follow in your father's legacy. I will not have any child of mine be the captain of a sinking ship._

_I have sealed into the back page all of my stances and movements for my modified Jyuken as well as my bow techniques and a few other things. I hope they will benefit you all well. _

_I love you all with all my heart,_

_Ja ne My tenshis (angels)…_

Hinata's body was wracked with sobs as she cried silently cradling the journal close to her heart. Her mother was right. This clan can't be saved. Her grandmother and mother had suffered so much and died in vain for a clan doomed in tradition. Both women died living unfulfilled lives without knowing love or having their feeling returned. It tore her heart apart with guilt to know that her life was going so well with Naruto by her side while they had experienced unrequited love.

She would eventually find a way to be with Naruto but she could only hope that Hanabi would not become another Hiashi. Hanabi had been showing crucial characteristics of Hiashi. She was smugly arrogant, rude and narcissistic. These features had seemingly tripled along with a glimmer of fear ever since her defeat at Hinata's hands. She had been straying even further fearing another beating. Hinata instantly regretted her actions. She didn't want her sister to fear her. She was just so fed up and tired of the abuse, both verbally and otherwise.

She could always give her the journal and hope that it would inspire the necessary change but Hanabi couldn't be trusted. 'She would do anything for her father and I can't afford this to fall into the wrongs hands.'

She looked at the picture of her mother on the dresser and smiled fondly. It was one of the few she had that she shared with Hanabi. She gave the majority to Hanabi and had kept this one. It was her mother wearing a pale flower pattern kimono with a small lump in her tummy region. The smile on her face could melt snow-capped mountains.

'Help me Ka-san. Help me escape this sinking ship….'

A wave of fatigue finally hit her and she went to sleep dreaming of her mother.

_**Maroon Leaf Hotel **_

As Naruto had predicted, the ANBU were in a frenzy upon his return to the compound.So Sasuke decidedto fuck it and buy a suite in the Maroon Leaf. The Maroon Leaf was an extremely luxurious hotel where only high profile figures stayed at and it often played host to other Kages, Daimyos and other diplomats. It had a suite for each nation and it was 15,000 yen for one night. But he didn't worry about money. His fortune as well as the compound interest on it ensured he would never be even close to middle class. Usually, banks wouldn't apply this interest on accounts but the Uchiha Police Force had gained a lot of admiration from the civilians with their service and vigilance in resolving their petty squabbles.

Therein lies the reason he had so many fan girls. The children of money and status obsessed women would have of course been tutored in the art of frenzied seduction. The case of Sakura and her harpy of a mother Sayuri Haruno was presented itself. Sayuri was a status whore who had been trying to get into the pants of every council member since she was close to his age. His mother Mikoto had told him that, although she was already on the council, she would do anything to gain the status of Clan Matriarch. He had always loved his mother deeply for her wisdom in such matters…

That aside, the avenger was uncharacteristically happy. Not only would Naruto take some of the heat off of him, he now had somewhere to be other than Uchiha compound. Somewhere that didn't have constant surveillance or the memories of his fallen kinsmen. Some of the more persistent ANBU would actually stand outside his bathroom window while he showered. And those masks were incredibly unnerving. You could never be sure if one of those ANBU could be an undercover fangirl. You would think that he was exaggerating but Sasuke knew better. He knew the heights at which these girls were willing to go. He had the missing hair and underwear to prove it…

He ordered dinner though it was a bit late and occupied his time by turning his Sharingan on and off. The first level didn't offer much except for vastly improved sight. He knew that at only level two would he be able to copy Taijutsu and Ninjutsu and that at level three he would finally gain the ability of preception, knowing an opponent's actions before he/she could even do them. Many Uchihas never even unlocked their Sharingan. 'I really do owe Naruto a lot. If he didn't try to kill me, I would have never unlocked it so soon. Who knows what kind of person I'd be if Itachi didn't bring me to that clearing.' Not wanting to dwell on such a conundrum as his genocidal brother, he quickly diverted his thoughts to the training he would be able to achieve with his family's Fan Scroll.

A knock at his door alerted him of his dinner. He got up and walked to the door. Pausing, he looked through the peep hole only to find a red and white rabbit mask.

"Master Uchiha, you must return to your Compound." The masked stalker spoke emotionlessly.

"AW COME ON!"

_**Namikaze-Uzumaki Residence…. **_

Naruto was at a loss. There was so much to learn, so much to practise, so much to master. Therefore, he had spent two hours testing his body's capabilities with rigorous physical training. 300 kicks and punches per limb followed by 500 weighted push ups and 400 weighted jump squats. The weight was of course a 100-pound boulder. Kurama-sensei assured him that as quickly as his muscles ripped they would heal and his body's resistance would increase each time.

He also found something called resistance seals in the dojo as well as chakra weights he had seen Lee use. Based on the note attached to them, they would multiply the gravity and resistance on his body with the application of miniscule bits of his chakra. It all operated on the unit of Gravitons (Gs). Apparently, natural chakra weights had the risk of stunting one's growth while these applied excess gravity on the body making the body faster and stronger without even noticing as time went on. Although he had no such risk, he gave each option close consideration before choosing both. The chakra weights he applied to his feet while he would slap a resistance seal on his chest and on each arm. Synchronising all five items was a very tedious task but he finally managed to set his leg weights to 80 pounds each and 40 Gs on his chest and arms. He fell to the ground immediately afterwards. And so he had spent the next hour getting used to them.

Getting back to the present, he had both his parents' journals before him on the dojo floor. It was as good a place as any to begin training from. From what he was able to gather in his father's office, these didn't document his parents' life but rather their training guides. Guides that they were going to use to train him as he grew up. It hurt him somewhat that he would never be able to be with them as a family but he had spent many a day grieving his losses. Now was the time to make himself into a warrior they could be proud of.

With that in mind, he bit his thumb and smeared it on the privacy seal, opening his mother's diary and began reading:

_Hello sochi! If you're reading this, then it means that your father and I didn't survive the Kyuubi attack and your godparents Jiraiya and Tsunade are raising you._

Naruto's brow creased in rage. 'I have fucking GODPARENTS?! Where have they been the past 11 years?' When he'd needed them so much? All those attempts on his life could have been prevented and he could have actually had a resemblance of a family.They would pay for their betrayal. But why did the name Tsunade sound so familiar?

_There's a probability that Tsunade-baa-chan, with the deaths of her lover Dan and her brother Nawaki, may not be the best mother figure and Jiraiya-ero may be too occupied with his spy network to take care of you. In any case, Hiruzen should ensure you're well off._

Another reason for him to be pissed. 'Well off? I spent two years living in the fucking forest at age 6!' The Sandaime used to be his pillar of strength who had taken care of him very much like a father would. He was a constant in his life and Naruto had loved him and looked up to him. Then one day, a little after his 3rd birthday, his Oji-san carried him to the orphanage and left. There was where the inhumane treatment had begun. For the next six months, he saw the Sandaime with less and less frequency until he stopped coming at all. He escaped his "handlers" and ran to the Hokage Tower only to be kicked out harsh before he even got in the door. He had tried many times after but with the same results. All the weird tasting food that left him sick, all the knives hidden under his bed, all the nights when they tried to stifle him in his sleep, all the hateful glares and verbal rants would have all been bearable if he had had his Oji-san by his side.

But he wasn't.

Three years later, he was kicked out for punching one of the ladies who "spanked" him. He met Itachi-nee and Sasuke-teme a while after and for two years he lived in the forest and survived on food he either hunted or Itachi-nee brought for him. It was at that point he lost all his love for the Sandaime and, although the Sandaime eventually had found him and gave him the "necessities", their relationship had never been the same. A piss poor apartment close to the red light district and a monthly stipend that wasn't worth shit when all the prices were three times the usual didn't make up for 5 years of neglect. The Sandaime's abandonment was the final nail in the coffin for him that made him understand that he was truly alone in the world. Not that he needed anyone then.

_If you were expecting a journal of my deepest thoughts and secrets, I'm sorry to say that you won't find any of that in here. As corny as it sounds, Minato and I were each other's diary. We confided in each other everything. We loved each other dearly and we were ecstatic when we found I was pregnant. Your father was flashing all over Konoha tell anyone who would listen. We were so eager to have you with us that I begged Tsunade to speed up the pregnancy! Of course such a thing wasn't possible but we loved you and anticipated you greatly. _

_Minato-kun was the one who suggested we write these journals. He said that our occupation didn't have the greatest life expectancy and if we were to die then all our techniques and abilities would be lost to you. He reasoned that you would be our legacy and would have to have free access to all the knowledge we have amassed over the years._

_These training journals were written while you were still growing in me but the first few pages were left blank for us to add introductions when we saw fit. Your father already wrote his and went off to the battlefield. He left a transport seal here in the hospital so that when I'm finished here it'll go back to the compound. Who would have thought today our procrastination would have to come to an end? Anyway, please know that we love you dearly. Grow up big and strong, eat your vegetables, find yourself a nice wholesome girl and have lots of babies._

_Proud Mother,_

_Kushina Uzumaki-Namik-_

Here, Naruto saw a teardrop stain. It was soon joined by another and another. He was crying so hard he could barely control himself. That single teardrop spoke a thousand words to him. It spoke of her grief on that night. It spoke of her misery. He flipped through the pages and found a single picture of her. He somehow knew it would be there. He knew that they would leave him a memento of some kind. He clutched it close to his body and allowed himself a moment to grieve his losses.

Something he had never allowed himself for as long he lived.

He had often thought of crying as something weaklings did that never solved anything. He never had anyone to sit him down and tell him that this was a necessary part of life. He wiped his eyes on his hands and looked at the photo.

It was her eating ramen with her eyes closed in delight.

He knew how his father died of the seal he created. What he didn't know how she died.

"**I think I know. Uzumakis have always had longevity and healing abilities. This makes childbirth extremely difficult and having my seal on her pregnant belly would have made things even more strenuous." **Kurama half lied. Naruto wasn't quite ready for the truth yet.

'So she died having me huh?' Naruto smiled sadly.

"**Not immediately after but yes. Anyway, it's not your fault kit. Many women die during childbirth. Human pregnancies, from what I gathered during your mother's, are a risk factor in and of itself as it drains the bodies resources and fluctuate hormonal levels, sometimes dangerously."**

'Thanks Kurama.' Naruto half smiled blinking away a few tears. He took a deep breath and turnedthe page, instantly noticing the change of mood in the writing. Before they knew their fates…

_The longest journey begins with a single step and this technique is one hell of a first step. It was one of the premier jutsu in our ancestral home due to its sheer practicality and ingenuity. Even espionage! It was one of the reasons why Uzushiogakure was so feared. This jutsu is known as the Shadow Clone Jutsu. In our home, it was taught to children in the Academy but in this village it's ranked as a kinjutsu due to the miniscule chakra reserves of the people here. How pathetic. Anyway, this jutsu would enable you to amass knowledge that would take others years in a matter of months of weeks depending on the difficulty on the task with the use of memory feedback! It was the building blocks of our arsenals. _

On the next page was the handsign and chakra output for the jutsu. "Seems simple enough…" Naruto murmured standing up. In his mindscape, Arashi could be seen dragging a chair next to Kurama's throne and sitting down. _**"What are we looking at here exactly?"**_

"**Remember when I explained how volatile and unstable Naruto's chakra is?"**

"_**Yea. What about it?"**_

"**What do you think would happen when he attempts to perform a jutsu that requires such a chakra output?"**

"_**How dastardly. Aren't you worried for him?" **_Arashi smirked.

"**Naw. I'm pretty sure his body is resilient and fast healing enough to prevent that much damage. Though I can be wrong…." **Kurama rubbed his chin.

Oblivious to his tenants' conversation, Naruto began moulding the appropriate amount of chakraand assumed the right handsign. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)!"

BOOOOOOOOOM!

As the smoke cleared, a charred Naruto stood with his hands still in position eyes wide open. Over the crackling of fire in his hair, he could also hear the laughter of his sensei and inner darkness. 'You all knew that was going to happen didn't you?!'

"**I don't know what you're talking about."**

"_**I'm shocked and appalled that you would make such a suggestion."**_

'Anyway, where did I go wrong? I did everything correctly.' He sighed feeling his hair grow back.

"**Of course you did. You aren't the issue. It's your chakra. Uzumakis in general have shitty chakra control but with your metamorphosis any little control you did have has been blown to shit. You have to go back to basics."**

'How far exactly?'

"**Sticking leaves on your body basic."**

'Fuck!'

"**Hey don't blame me. I gave you the power. It's up to you to refine it into something usable."**

And with that, he was left alone. Leaving the dojo and entering his backyard, he found a koi pond and a few trees but one thing surprised him more than anything. There was a medium sized pool to his left just sitting there. 'How in the world could I miss that?' Turning his attention back to his training, he plucked a leaf from a nearby tree and placed it on his forehead. He concentrated his chakra to the point of contact only to have the leaf combust and burn his forehead.

"Dammit that hurt!" he swore once again hearing snickers in his mind "And if you two don't shut the hell up, I'll put you both into cages again!"

There was silence before Kurama spoke **"Yeah right. If you do that then who's gonna teach you an alternative method to controlling your chakra?"**

Naruto sighed and swallowed his pride 'Ok ok. Can you please teach me the alternative, Kurama-sensei?'

"**That's more like it. The answer is simple. Tree climbing."**

'I already know how to climb trees Kurama.'

"**Without your hands?"**

Silence.

"**Yea that's what I thought. Concentrate chakra to your feet to stick and walk up the tree. Too much you'll shoot off. Too little you'll slip off. This is a crucial ninja ability that would give you better chakra control since your feet is one of the more difficult places to send chakra to."**

Nodding, Naruto applied chakra to his feet. He ran to the tree thinking a running start would be better. The moment his left foot connected with the tree, two things happened simultaneously. The tree trunk exploded in half and Naruto was sent flying in the opposite direction….into another tree.

Kurama slapped his knee and bellowed in mirth while Arashi doubled over in sweet agony laughing uproariously. Naruto groaned as he sat up. He would handle those bastards later. But right now he had to ensure his coccyx wasn't broken. Standing up with some difficulty thanks to the weights, he marvelled at his body's resistance. An impact like that should have broken more than a few ribs but all he felt was a dull throb on his spine. 'I think I understand now. I asked for this power and I got my wish. Drawbacks and everything. It's up to me to make it my own.'

Kurama smirked proudly **'Bout damned time…'**

With new found determination, the Namikaze heir got up and pulled out a kunai. 'Less is more…Less is more.' His mantra was helpful but putting it into action was difficult. Trying to siphon a little chakra to his feet was like trying to drain a lake through a kitchen sink pipe. Damn near impossible but he had to try.

"**The more I think about it, the more I get the feeling this exercise won't be enough. After this, I'll teach you how to water walk."**

Now usually Naruto would be filled with anticipation at the prospect of a new technique as awesome sounding as walking on water but he had centered himself on the task ahead. 'I'll cross that bridge when I get to it…'

Steadying himself and his chakra, he ran towards and a tree and placed a foot against it. The bark disintegrated below him but he stuck fast. Taking another step, he overloaded and shot back this time marking his progress and landing safely.

"_**Congrats. You made two whole steps!"**_

'Next time it'll be four.' Naruto snarled before running at the tree again. 

_**The following morning (7:45)…**_

A soaking wet Naruto can be seen climbing out of the pool panting somewhat. He had finally mastered both tree climbing and water walking to an acceptable extent.

"**And it only took you all night." **Kurama jeered.

'I got them done nonetheless and these weights didn't make it easy by the way.'

"_**Hey Kurama! You remember when he tried to water walk the first time and the water started to boil?"**_

"**Haha! Yea that was quite amusing."**

Naruto just zoned them out. He mastered two genin level skills a whole year before graduation. That was something wasn't it? And he had finally gotten his weights to feel natural. He could barely notice them. Standing up, he crossed his hands in the tiger sign "Kage Bushin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)!"

Instead of one clone appearing, twenty clones appeared. "That's strange. I didn't say Tajuu….'

"**It'll become refined with time. With experience, it will eventually require no hand seals or even words."**

"Cool." All the clones dispersed with his mental command "Time to see what else is in Ka-san's journal."

"**No. it's time for class."**

'Why would I go to class when I have an ancient demon to teach me everything I need to know?' Naruto mentally inquired.

"**Because you have to keep up appearances. Not many people will miss your absence but those that do will attempt to find you and I'm pretty sure you don't want them finding you missing. Especially with those strange ANBU around. You have to lay low until you and your friends have enough strength to defend yourselves." **Kurama explained.

"Understood." Naruto sighed aloud.

Walking back into the house, he had an omelette with some slices of buttered toast and orange juice. "I wonder why my appetite for ramen has decreased."

"**That's me. That stuff was decaying your insides. It had no nutritional value. So I modified your tastebuds to more of a variety of foods."**

'Ramen is the food of Gods!'

"**If these "Gods" reign over gastrointestinal organisms and emaciation, then I'm sure you're right. You will eat it in moderation from now on."**

"Fine." He grumbled.

After he finished his breakfast, he got up and went to the bathroom for his morning rituals and ablutions.

'You're ruining my life, you know that right?'

"**I live to please kit." **Kurama grinned mischievously.

_**At the Academy…**_

Hinata walked through the Academy doors to see the usual groups. She was wearing under a purple long sleeved top with a black waist sash and black tights. The Hyuga insignia was on the back. She obviously had to change clothes after outgrowing them. So she opted for something more breathable and movement-granting. But mainly, she just wanted to impress Naruto. She didn't want his eyes to stray. Not until he had to revive his that is.

The male clan heirs were in a corner conversing amongst themselves. This group consisted of Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Shino though Shino just sat stood there nodding every once in a while. The civilian boys were in another group scowling at the fact that all the girls were in a group around a very ticked Sasuke. He was wearing the usual except his white shorts were now long white cargo pants. This group of fan girls were led by none other than Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, former best friends turned rivals. But not rivals in the sense of improving their skills as future ninjas of Konoha. Instead, they were rivals in the pursuit of a guy that would never want them. Although she wasn't best friends with Sasuke in any sense of the word, she knew that Sasuke wouldn't want weak girls, which was exactly what those two were.

She made her way to her Naruto's seat, hoping not to be noticed.

"Eeeek! It's that girl from the clearing! Run away!"

Swing and a miss.

All the fangirls screamed and moved the corner of the classroom furthest away from her. Standing up, she tried to clear her name "Everyone calm down! It's me Hinata!"

"Yea right! Everyone knows that Hinata is a sweet, quiet girl! And definitely not that busty!"

Everyone murmured in agreement.

Hinata sighed and wondered if her ace would work twice.

"First of all, I'm always wearing a big clunky jacket…"

Some of the girls nodded and agreed.

"…and secondly I'm on my cycle."

There was a pause before a girl spoke up "That makes perfect sense!"

The group of girls dispersed immediately and went back to what they were doing.

Sasuke's eye twitched. Was that really all it took? Was it really that simple to blame a normal biological function for anything wrong that happened? Was the world really that twisted?

Apparently so.

_**Elsewhere…**_

Naruto departed from the establishment he had brought his bento box in the form of a forty year old clergyman. When he turned the corner, a poof of smoke signified the emergence of his true form. He wore a short sleeved black muscle hoodie (if such a thing was possible) with a purple spiral on the front over a mesh vest that peeked under the fabric at the arms. On the back of his shirt was his signature- purple Kanji for Chaos. He had opted to leave home his blade since he didn't want to attract the inevitable attention it would bring. His lower body was covered by black cargo shorts held up by two purple straps that crisscrossed his waist. At the point where the two straps met in an X, there was a black fox head belt buckle. Finally, he had jet black shin guards that concealed his leg weights and black boots. His kunai pouch was located on his left thigh with his equipment/shuriken pouch was on the back of his pants. His hair hung freely over his forehead with the two fang-like purple tipped bangs touching his jawline as usual.

'Is there event a reason for a mesh shirt in the first place?'

"**Just because your bones are extremely hard and you have an even faster healing factor doesn't mean you don't need extra protection."**

'What about the fox head buckle and Chaos kanji on the back?'

"**Representation! You're my host and the Chaos kanji just seemed appropriate. Besides, it looks badass and you know it."**

Naruto didn't have an argument for that because it did look badass. He just didn't want too much attention being drawn to himself. Said attention had made itself known the very moment he brought these clothes…

_**Earlier…..**_

_Naruto walked to the Academy through the forest, being careful to conceal his chakra signature. He found Kurama to be unusually quiet._

'_Something wrong, Kurama-sensei?'_

"**Oh nothing," **_Kurama responded tightly._

_Unable to pick up subtle signals from others, Naruto continued his stroll through the forest. After a while Kurama yelled explosively, no longer to tolerate his Avatar's lack of empathy._

"**Of course something's wrong!"**

'_But you just said-'_

"**Never mind what I said!"**

'_Ok ok. For the next few minutes, I'll be your Dr. Phil from those magazines.' Naruto smirked._

_Ignoring the obvious jibe, Kurama continued _**"You're clothes are too bland. They don't express your presence."**

_Naruto glanced at his plain white Tee and black track pants. It was rather quaint. _

'_I suppose I can see your point. But I had plans to change my wardrobe today anyway.'_

"**Why not now?" **

_Naruto's eyes widened. 'But the nearest store is all the way back in town.'_

"**Well you better get a running start then."**

'_I guess we could. I wonder if they have anything with tassels…' Naruto sighed looking at his arms._

"_**If you get anything with those accursed tassels you love so much, I'll seize control of your genitals and make you incapable of pleasing any woman in your life ever again!" **__Arashi roared._

_Naruto paled before ditching that train of thought 'No tassels it is then.'_

_Turning in the other direction, he bolted off into the trees._

_He continued quickly across the forest, senses attuned to Nature's wonders. Without tunnel vision, he could see all the forest creatures existing and subsisting symbiotically with one another. Before he could contemplate further, he burst from the treeline and found himself in Konoha's most urban district and the district responsible for most of his childhood beatings. He could feel Arashi's discontentment flood him for a moment before he suppressed it and moved on._

"**You're gonna give yourself an ulcer if you keep pushing down those emotions kit." **_Kurama stated with a hint of worry._

'_I heal fast, remember?' Naruto responded bitterly._

_They quickly arrived at Konoha's most established ninja's clothing store._

_Fiery Shinobi Fashions. One of his number one tormentors._

_Naruto trusted that he wouldn't need a full Henge so instead he added a few inches on his height and hid his claws, fangs, eyes and markings and entered the establishment. Walking up to the register, he found a girl, about 5 years older than him, with her head buried in one of those popular chick magazines. _

"_Excuse me but I would like purchase a few things."_

_The girl threw a glance over the top of her magazine to inspect this new customer and there it stayed. As she thoroughly surveyed the "merchandise", her pupils dilated and her breathing became somewhat ragged. He could see two now pronounced nubs pressed against her blue tank top. She dropped the magazine and slapped on a smile that could blind a Hyuga. Naruto could basically smell her arousal for him. Wait a sec…_

'_Kuramaaaaa' Naruto growled mentally._

_Unsurprisingly, he received no reply. _

"_Hello! How may I help you sir? Is there anything I can do for a man of your strapping stature?" the cashier laid it on thick._

'_Strapping? What is this? Little House on the Prairie?'_

"_Yes actually. I require clothing more appropriate of a ninja hopeful. I believe my sizes are-"_

"_Not needed. I can get your sizes for you." She interrupted, moving from behind the counter as if by Shunshin._

_Stretching out his arms and legs, Naruto sighed as the young woman darted all across his body spending a little bit too much time on his pectorals, biceps, buttocks and finally waist or more precisely his genitals. She finally stood and dashed through the aisles giggling all the way. _

'_She was down there for like 3 minutes!'_

_She came back with a pile of clothes which she shoved into his hands and guided him into a booth but not before smacking his ass. Naruto didn't have the chance to check for cameras as he swiftly changed hoping to get out of there soon._

_He walked out only to find the receptionist drooling, not at all trying to hide her attraction. Turning to the closest mirror, he soon found out why. _

'_I like it!'_

"**It's missing something though…"**

_Naruto inspected the outfit and agreed._

_He turned back to her and smiled "You are truly a master at what you do."_

_She of course blushed at the compliment, twirling a lock in her finger and spoke breathlessly "Thank you very much sir."_

"…_But I need a few modifications." He grinned._

_**Present time…**_

"I still can't believe I got everything for free." Naruto smiled.

"**I still can't believe she asked to keep your old clothes and that she left her number in your pants."**

"_**I still can't believe it's not butter." **_

Both consciousnesses turned to Arashi with a WTF expression.

"_**What? I was thinking about breakfast this morning." **_He defended.

'I still feel a bit sad though.' Naruto resumed.

"**Why?"**

'Because I'm only getting all this attention because of the transformation. I'm just a handsome mutation…' Naruto explained sadly.

"**Kit your looks aren't a mutation. Well most of it anyway."**

'What do you mean?'

"**I mean that those are your looks. In a few years, with training and a good diet, you were gonna look like that anyway. I just accelerated the process. With a couple muscles, enhanced senses and demonic abilities here and there. Everything except the highlights, body markings, eyes and feral features are all you."**

'Seriously?' Kurama nodded 'Awesome!'

He turned the corner and bumped into someone. Luckily, he didn't drop his bento boxed lunch. The person stumbled backwards before they made eye contact.

"Lee!"

To say Lee looked differently would be an understatement. Lee was wearing a short sleeved dark green Chinese style shirt with black trimmings over a longer sleeved mesh shirt with black cloth around his hands and dark green ninja pants with black cloth covering his weights and green sandals. His kunai pouch was on his right thigh with his equipment/shuriken pouch in the usual place. All in all, he looked very serious when compared to how he looked before.

"**Ah hush. I seem to remember you being fond of the colours orange and blue."**

'It was a different time then!' Naruto defended.

"**If you consider a little over a week ago a different time, then your perception of time is as deluded as your beliefs about ramen."**

'Hmph!'

"Hello Naruto! I see that I wasn't the only one who has entered his springtime!"

"It's good to see you Lee even after you left me hanging in the clearing with those fangirls!" Naruto pointed the accusing finger.

"Being raped by those two young fellows would have been most unyouthful and so interrupting my springtime. I did as I saw fit." Lee shrugged.

"I guess I could understand but I'm still a little miffed." Naruto paused remembering something "Hey why don't we have the ritual tonight?"

"So soon?" Lee raised an eyebrow.

"Why wait? And besides, you have seven months until your graduation to get accustomed to your new body and trust me when I say you'll need it." He turned and began walking.

"Getting accustomed?" Lee joined

"Yup. If you think that's this process will be without drawbacks, you have another thing coming."

"Drawbacks? Explain." Lee didn't look particularly frightened. Just curious.

"Well first of all, even though you'll gain access to your chakra, your control will be blown to shit. You'll have to train day and night, or in my case all night, to get it back."

"I'll just be glad I have chakra to control at all." Lee smiled wistfully

"Also, you'll have to test your body's limits with intensive physical training and discipline."

"I get the training part but why the discipline?"

"Because your libido is-"

"Lee we're late for class!" Out of nowhere, a girl in a pink Chinese style shirt grabbed Lee's hand and dragged him off to the Academy in the distance. Naruto just ran after them but before he could get Lee, they both disappeared into one of the buildings.

Shaking his head and smiling, Naruto walked up to his registered classroom already hearing the monotone drone of Iruka's voice.

"…and thus marking the end of the Second Ninja War. Any questions?"

Naruto slid the door open and strode in like he owned the place.

"Just one really. When do we get to the part with the Yondaime kicking Iwa's ass?"

Everyone in the classroom stopped what they were doing and looked at the newcomer. Well everyone except Sasuke who already knew who the person was.

Hinata, on the other hand, licked her lips at the new look. 'It should seriously be illegal for someone to look that attractive and be that oblivious.' Hinata had always felt like there was something just below the surface scratching to break out ever since she met Naruto. Even at 8 years old, she had the desire to imprison him in her room and run her hands over his cheeks for days on end. Not the healthiest imagination for a girl her age but she didn't care. In the last few years of her "observing" him, the magnitude of her infatuation and adoration for this strange boy only grew. However, in the last few days, her feelings had been magnified tenfold to borderline obsession. 'I only hope I don't scare him away…' she bit her lip.

Iruka was the first to speak "Listen up you little ruffian. You aren't a part of my class so would you please leave so my students can enjoy the lesson."

"I think it's pretty clear that no one enjoys your lessons Iruka-sensei." Everyone chuckled at this "The only reason I put up with them is because I got free ramen afterwards."

"N-Nar-"

"Hey it's that hot guy from the clearing!" A girl yelled.

Just then, the pencil in Hinata's snapped audibly while her hair shadowed her eyes. A deathly aura surrounded her.

The fangirls didn't utter another word.

"Naruto? What happened to you?!" Shikamaru exclaimed in one of his few lively moments.

"Puberty, a new diet and some new clothes?" Naruto asked more than answered.

Shikamaru wasn't convinced but decided that now wasn't the time.

Iruka rubbed his forehead "Do I even want to know Naruto?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and chuckled "I can tell you but I'll have to kill you afterwards."

Unsurprisingly, no one laughed.

"Just go to your seat and turn to page 437 of your Ninja Conflicts textbook." Iruka rubbed his brows.

Nodding, he walked through the middle row towards his seat at the back of the class, trying to ignore all the varying glares. Some in jealousy. Some in lust. Naruto finally reached his seat to find Hinata in it. He smiled suggestively.

"The way I see it, we only have two options here."

Hinata smiled back coyly "Which are?"

"I sit in your lap or you sit in mine." He smirked leaning in.

"The latter sounds nice." Hinata whispered hotly on his ear.

"You might get hurt." Naruto growled seductively.

"Maybe I'll like the pain." Hinata pecked his cheek before scooting over completely and ending the entire repartee leaving a hot and very bothered Naruto in her wake.

"Fucking tease…." Naruto grumbled sitting down while Hinata giggled cutely.

Unbeknownst to the duo, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Shino heard the whole thing and sat there mouths agape. Well everyone except Shino whose eyebrow was raised.

You knew it was bad when Chouji stopped shovelling chicken flavoured pork rinds-in-a-bag into his mouth.

Kiba was first to respond, whispering furiously "What the fuck is happening around here? Hinata and Naruto were never that close before!"

Shino's glasses shined mysteriously "Indeed. There have been strange things happening as of lately that do not happen often thus causing us to label it as strange…"

Chouji resumed his eating but not with the same gusto "What Shino said."

Now usually Shikamaru would be the first to investigate and question the unusual but today was one of his fuck-it days. These days included every day except Mondays. And it was Friday so he wasn't going to get himself involved.

"Meh. I'm sure it'll pass in due time."

The rest of them nodded.

Meanwhile, Naruto had reached his limit. He reached across and grabbed Hinata's thigh gently.

"Ahh~…" Hinata moaned sweetly.

Everyone turned to her inquisitively.

"Umm my stomach hurts…" She murmured.

Class resumed.

Naruto continued his ministrations, moving his hand up and down her thigh.

Hinata just bit her lip and hung her head, blushing profusely.

'Why isn't she telling me to stop? Or moving my hand or something?' Naruto wondered.

"**Oh my…" **Kurama chuckled darkly.

'What?'

"**Hinata recognises…haha…you as her….hoho…..Alpha." **Kurama doubled over laughing.

'Alwho?'

"**Alpha you twit! Her mate and leader who has complete control over her actions. She will allow you to dominate her in any way without rebuttal. Usually, such a thing only occurs between demons before the Mating Rites but apparently your metamorphoses and the attraction between you two has created a catalyst in this case. You can do whatever you wish to her and she won't try to dissuade you in any way! I suggest you lay her down over the table, mount her and-" **Kurama wiggled his eyebrows.

'Nobody asked you, ero-kitsune!'

Naruto stopped himself and turned back to his work only to have Hinata whimper at the loss of contact. He scooted over and wrapped an arm around her small waist causing her to lean into his embrace and smile. She went back to her work leaving a bewildered Naruto.

Naruto tried to untangle himself several times only to have her frown and whimper. Sighing, he resigned himself to his fate. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his father's journal that he had brought with him. Since had already read some of his mother's journal, he decided he should read some of his father's journal as well.

He bit his finger and rubbed the blood on the seal opening it and began reading:

_Heya son! If you're reading this, then I guess I'm pushing up daisies and you are the new Jinchuriki. I didn't tell your mother about the sealing I had in mind because she would have mutilated me with a rusty katana if she found out I sentenced her only son to a life like her own._

Naruto smiled at this. His mother was apparently a very unique and abrasive person like himself. He imagined that his father was constantly on his toes in their marriage. He had to wonder what would have happened if his mom had stopped his dad and they fled to another village to start life anew. 'One can only dream…'

_Please know that I didn't intend turn you into a weapon or anything like that. I sealed it into you in the hopes that you would tame the beast and end this cycle of hate and abuse people of your kind suffer. I had a lot of faith in your Uzumaki blood and that you would have used the beast to promote peace in this world. Although it seems ironic that you would tame a creature of perpetual hate and destruction to create a peaceful world but I figured if anyone could do it, it would be my son. I don't know if Jiraiya and Tsunade stuck to their obligations but if they didn't I want you to know that you must become strong regardless of your upbringing._

_You've had enemies even before you were born and although I managed to defeat him tonight, I have a feeling that you'll be seeing him again. That is why I wanted us to pass on everything we know to you so that you would surpass us. _

_Now that you've gained access to our compound, whether it was shown to you by Hiruzen-jiji or you discovered it by chance, you MUST keep it safe. I have enemies in the council who would sacrifice their first born to get at my secrets. You see, I wasn't just a ninjutsu and fuinjutsu specialist. I was also Konoha's number one intellectual rivalled only by Shikaku Nara. From a very young age, I had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and was regarded as a prodigy and genius though these titles didn't matter to me. As I grew, I made revolutionary advancements in my fields and my patents were highly sought after. I even cracked the secret on how to create Ninjutsu. All of these things are now held in my library._

_If Konoha gains access to my compound, they'll use it to launch this world into anarchy. Especially with people like Danzo and Hiashi around. Danzo is an even greater threat due to his private unit of ANBU who still carry out his will even after they were ordered to be disbanded. I only hope he doesn't get his hands on you, or more specifically, the power you possess. Also, my prized jutsus, the Rasengan and Hiraishin, are at your disposal though it is advisable that you wait until after you've done intermediate sealing theory at the very least to even attempt the latter._

Naruto's eyes widened. 'That would explain those strange ANBU Hinata and I detected. That Danzo guy must be trying to figure me out.'

"**Now do you see the importance of staying under the radar? Danzo must be closely monitoring your growth and is waiting for the smallest slip-up to either interrogate you or recruit you into his unit." **

Naruto nodded grimly before continuing:

_Another enemy you should avoid until you become strong is Iwa. They never forgave me for annihilating their entire southern battalion. They really know how to drive a grudge. I find your resemblance to me even at birth to be uncanny. Keep your lineage a secret for as long as possible until you become strong enough to handle the inevitable assassins._

He was beginning to feel the pressure now. 'Just how many people want me dead or incapacitated? Danzo's ANBU, my future Mate's father and Iwa assassins?'

Kurama thought back to the orange-masked Uchiha who controlled him **'You don't know the half of it…'**

_When your mother and I were discussing how you should learn Fuinjutsu, it was decided that you'd learn novice and intermediate sealing theory from me and advanced sealing theory from her. For all the knowledge I have in this field, I would have been a dunce if it hadn't been for your mother's tutelage in chakra manipulation (Pinnacle: Rasengan) and Fuinjutsu (Pinnacle: Hiraishin)._

_On a side note, I think it's important to mention that the compound is under the protection of a very powerful barrier type seal that your mother created. She spent several months vigorously working on it saying she won't repeat the mistakes from Uzu. She hasn't told me much about it but from what I can gather it has the standard chakra and blood recognition seals coupled with a chakra cancellation seal within its protection with the exception of the dojo. It even has a stasis seal which ensures that things will stay the way we left it. It's a masterpiece in and of itself so security wise you're set._

_I know that you must hate me but I hope you know that you are our greatest achievement. My jutsu will most definitely kill me and banish me to the Shinigami's stomach for eternal torment but I suppose that this is my sin for not being in your life. I was glad that I at least got to spend a few hours with you before I die though. I hope you woo a few women and pop out a few grandkids before you go and meet your mother. Please know that whatever happens to us, protect the Will of Fire and carry our legacy proudly._

_Loving Father,_

_Minato Namikaze._

He disregarded the last sentence since he had already met his father and had been issued a new set of instructions. This made him even more determined to free his father. 'I'll free my father even if it kills me. It'll be my greatest ambition along with my desire to protect the people who gave my life meaning. My life, from this day on, is forfeited to my dreams.'

"**That pretty admirable kit. Not that many people have that kind of conviction to see their dreams out till the very end. I'll follow you to Hell's Gate and back again if you keep that resolve."**

'Thanks Kurama-sensei.'

"_**Yeah yeah. Hugs, Kisses and all that shit. Turn the page already."**_

Annoyed by Arashi's bluntness, Naruto moved on nonetheless:

_When we were thinking about how you should learn Fuinjutsu, it was decided by your mother that you would learn the first two levels from me and the third and final level you would learn from her. It made more sense this way considering the fact that your mother taught me everything I know about the art. You don't have to read the Fuinjutsu book made by Jiraiya-sensei as your mother and I cover pretty much everything in our journals. The book on how to make Ninjutsu is also unnecessary as the art is also inside here and the book in my draw is unfinished and just contains some random scribbles I've written down. So let's begin. _

_Fuinjutsu is a complicated art that actually originates from Uzushiogakure. All the sealing techniques the world uses today are pales imitations of your ancestral art. Almost all ninja lack the discipline and ability to study it. Fuinjutsu is a virtually limitless art with application to every ninja and civilian field. From Weapons, Jutsu, Equipment, Torture and Espionage to Security, Politics, Economics and Agriculture. But I'm getting ahead of myself._

_Fuinjutsu is learned in three levels. _

_Novice/Noob level _(Naruto chuckled at this): _At this level, your focus is almost entirely on calligraphy. That is, your ability to write out seals and your seal speed. Both of these have to be developed to a battle ready efficiency. Also, you will have to familiarise yourself with the arrays that comprise a seal's functioning as these are a seal's building block. Learning how to place arrays in the right order will be crucial. If even a single kanji is off within a single array, the results can be catastrophic._

_Intermediate level: At this level, you will have to study the different types of seals found in your mother's Clan Scroll and memorise most if not all of them and the context they are used in. Barrier, Containment, Incendiary (Explosives), Modification and Time/Space (Under the advanced level). Most seals fall into the above categories. Most students stop midway through this level._

_Advanced/Master level: This level is, in simple terms, the shit. Only a handful of people reach this level. Everything is available to because at this level you can create your own seals or modify them accordingly. You can even combine seals and create multi-purpose seals. It is also at this level that you assess, break down and create the highest level of seals. Time/Space. This is also the most dangerous because you're basically messing with the fabric of reality and time. You are, more or less, spitting in the face of deities which to me makes it the most awesome thing in the world._

_But we digress. Your first assignment is to copy the kanji of an explosive note three hundred times. It can be found in your mother's scroll in my office. It seems cruel but to reach the above levels you gotta start somewhere right? Only after you finish this step should you proceed._

Naruto stopped here since he had to be home to do the assigned exercise. 'Whew! What a read!' He looked around himself to find almost everyone fighting to stay awake. Shikamaru, Kiba and Chouji had long since succumbed to the realm of slumber while Shino sat up but with Shino but you couldn't be so sure. Hinata and Sakura studiously scribbled in their notebooks. He managed to register Iruka's last words on the lesson.

"….and not one monkey was allowed into the hot springs ever again."

The lunch bell rang causing everyone to run outside. Most of the civilian students took to the rooftops immediately after being let outside. Shikamaru and Chouji took off in the direction of the former's Deer Reserve to watch the clouds while Kiba grabbed his dog from the stump it was tied to and ran. Shino just leaned against a tree with a bug on his finger most likely communicating with it. Naruto and Hinata moved to the shaded tree line to have their lunches only to be interrupted.

"Hinata, is that really you?" a shrill voice inquired.

The duo turned around to meet Ino, the self-proclaimed gossip queen of Konoha. Their new looks were a mystery she had to get to the bottom of. Hinata especially. She was the girl she always "protected" from others because she was usually too timid to tell others off. She was like the sister she always wanted. Now she was curvy, confident and downright beautiful. 'More so than me.' She admitted begrudgingly 'But why is she on Naruto's arm?' Sure, it was common knowledge to everyone that she had a crush on Naruto but she had never acted on it before. 'And why the hell was Naruto looking so much hotter and dangerous than Sasuke-kun?' So many questions and no answers.

"Yes Ino?" Hinata responded tightly. She remembered how much Ino used to belittle Naruto every time he spoke to her. She never even wanted the bitch talking to her but back then she simply didn't have the will to tell her off.

"I just wanted to ask you guys about your new looks and outfits." Ino said eagerly.

"I won't be saying a thing to the self-proclaimed Gossip Queen of Konoha." Hinata said.

Naruto watched the events unfold like he was at a tennis match.

"Come on! We're friends right?" Ino exasperated.

"Friends? Not really. You were more of the annoying acquaintance who constantly insulted the guy I admired. Now, would you please leave us alone. I want to have lunch with Naruto-kun."

In a ditch effort to get back at Hinata for belittling her, Ino rubbed against Naruto "Hey Naruto, wanna go have lunch with me?"

"Sure!" Ino smiled victoriously "As soon as you get your bust size out of the single digits."

Ino face fell flatter than Sakura's chest. She then scoffed and stormed off.

"Never took you for a breast man." Hinata jibed.

"Never knew what a breast was up until a few days ago. Long story." Naruto smiled and then turned to find Sasuke in a corner of the clearing brooding with his ever present fangirls swooning.

"Hey Duck-ass!" Naruto called.

"Yeah Birdshit?" Sasuke replied.

"Come have lunch with us." Naruto invited.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded and got up.

'Ahh…' Naruto smiled 'Life is good.'

_**With Lee…**_

Lee was confused. This morning had thoroughly introduced him to the mind boggling intricacies of the female mind. As he did handstand push-ups on his thumbs at the back of the class, he wondered how a simple change of clothes could attract so much attention from the girls of his class.

First, he had noticed the strange glances Tenten was giving him. Contrary to popular belief, Lee wasn't the energetic idiot everyone thought him to be.

Well, the energetic part was right.

He was actually very observant and intelligent. He just acted that way, as Gai had taught him, to make others underestimate him. Gai would often tell him stories of other ninja around the village who acted differently to throw off their actual abilities. He learned of a ninja who constantly coughed and made his face pale to pretend to be sick and of Gai's eternal rival who read porn and pretended to be lazy to throw of his enemies. From Gai's description, Lee didn't believe it was an act.

Lee tried very hard in his studies to make up for his chakra disability but he soon realised it was for naught. So instead he would spend his classes listening vaguely to the instructor while doing his exercises. The instructor, like the others, had long since learned to ignore his presence instead focusing on their prided Uchiha.

Everyone else thought him to be a chakra-less freak who idolized a weirdo. Not that he really cared. Lee's ever present resolve and carefree disposition meant that barely anything ever fazed him. Tenten was the only one who took him seriously as she didn't believe Ninjutsu to be the all-powerful ninja tool.

However, her infatuation with Neji was most infuriating. Although he didn't care for her in the same manner, his sense of nobility hated the fact that she allowed herself to be mistreated by a so-called prodigy. Lee knew that if he released his weights, used any of the Lotuses or his Celestial Gates, Neji wouldn't survive but he had promised Gai that he would never use his trump cards unless he was protecting someone. And so he allowed himself to be defeated and endured all those asinine lectures on 'fate'. He only hoped that he wouldn't be paired with him after graduation.

If he only knew…

The lunch bell rang and he halted his inverted thumb-ups and was about to stand up straight when he saw a pair of all too familiar brown sandals. He had often seen them after his defeats attached to his smugly arrogant aggressor.

"I see that you have opted for a change of garb." Neji Hyuga sneered.

Lee back flipped and stood up straight, plastering on a fake smile to show his blissful ignorance "Yosh! I chose these clothes because I believed they would enhance my springtime!"

"I see. I just hope you know that it won't change your fate as you are destined to be a failure in the ninja arts."

Lee sighed 'It's always like this with this guy. Fate this. Destiny that. Maybe I should show him the flaws of his belief.'

"You know, for a person who believes in 'fate' so much, I think that you try a bit too hard to convert me to your belief. Why do you seem so keen on converting me to your silly beliefs if I am indeed "destined to be a failure in the ninja arts"?"

Neji's eyes narrowed but said nothing.

"I don't know about you Neji-san but if such a thing as fate exists then I'm gonna fight against mine until it changes. Not because I'm stubborn. Not because I'm foolish. But because when I consider the alternative, I don't have a choice. For people like me, accepting the trials that life sends us isn't an option. It doesn't take your all-seeing eyes to see one's fate. It takes hard work, determination and youth!" Lee finished with his teeth pinging in an unknown light.

Neji's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he turned his back to Lee "Do as you wish."

"I intend to." Lee smiled though it couldn't be seen.

Neji walked away revealing Tenten in a corner. She smiled at Lee and winked before walking after Neji.

Lee smiled and walked out the back door to find Naruto. He was still in disbelief at Naruto's proposal but, as it was, Naruto was offering him something that needed desperately: a second chance.

"_Without ninjutsu, your future as a ninja is bleak at best. Quit while you're ahead!" _An instructor words rang out in his head.

"_Why do you try so hard? You're just a mutant invalid!" _One of his female classmates told him once.

"_Our Goken will only get you so far!" _Gai's words had hurt him the most. The man he had considered his father telling him to be the village's pet. He would remember those words.

"If our Goken won't get me all the way there, then maybe Naruto-san will help me get the rest of the way there." he whispered to himself.

Lee's ambition hadn't changed. He intended to become the best Taijutsu user in the world and to prove it to be the most powerful ninja art. That much hadn't changed. But he had an idea of how to do so that would revolutionize the art. The whole world would recognise his ambitions. This he swore.

_**With Naruto….**_

Naruto sneezed as Hinata tried to feed him her sushi. She dropped it and placed her hand on his head to check for a fever.

"I'm not sick Hime." Naruto chuckled, secretly enjoying her 'mother hen' routine "I can't get sick remember?"

"Just checking Naru-kun." Hinata smiled.

"The two of you are nauseating. I'm trying to eat here!" Sasuke ticked.

"We should stop Hime," Naruto placed a hand on her own "We have to have more consideration for Konoha's Gay Community. You know that our heterosexual shows of affection hurt him."

"Okay." Hinata giggled cutely.

"I'M NOT GAY! I'M JUST REALLY SELECTIVE IN THE WOMEN I PURSUE!" Sasuke roared.

"I believe someone once said 'The closet door comes in many colours'?" Hinata jibed.

Naruto grabbed her and rubbed his whiskered cheeks against hers "I knew there was a reason why I liked you so much! You like to make fun of Sasuke too!"

With Naruto holding her so closely, Hinata was nearly catatonic. His body was like a furnace against hers. She melted into his arms like nothing else mattered, pulling him close to her.

This was the scene Sakura walked in on.

A grinning Naruto, a giggly Hinata with her back against his chest and a grumpy Sasuke.

"Hey Sasu-" She began.

"No." Sasuke stated without looking up from his meal.

"But you didn't let me finish!" she stomped.

"Okay. Carry on then." He murmured.

"Hey Sasuke-kun. Do you want to have lunch with-"

"No." Sasuke interrupted.

"Well he did let you finish." Naruto chuckled before Hinata fed him some sushi.

"Naruto-baka!" Sakura growled, raising her fist.

Hinata shot her a glare that would freeze all Nine levels of Hell "Touch him and I'll break your arm."

Sakura didn't know what to do with herself. She was always one of the more vicious girls at the Academy. But there was something dangerous in Hinata's eyes that made her hesitate. Something deranged that oddly reminded her of her own. She dropped her fists and there they stayed.

Naruto, now finished chewing, reached down and nibbled the back of Hinata's pale neck "I like it when you get possessive over me."

"I like being possessive…" she breathlessly replied.

"Here we go again." Sasuke sighed in exasperation, playing with his food.

Sakura felt like she was being completely ignored. And it hurt more than she thought it would. Usually, Sasuke would "postpone their date" and make her feel bad and she would pick on Naruto to make herself feel better. He was her pick-me-up. But now, seeing Naruto with someone who was actually returning his affections was made her feel really insignificant and she hated it.

'He doesn't deserve someone who loves him. He should be alone, miserable and asking me out!' she reasoned.

She zoomed in on Hinata. The person responsible for ruining their rather dysfunctional but effective equation.

'**SHE'S THE WIND BELOW NARUTO'S WINGS. IF YOU GET RID OF HER, HE'LL LOVE US AGAIN CHA!'** the ever present Inner Sakura spoke her depraved opinion.

Sakura mentally nodded.

"Hey Naruto, don't you wanna have lunch with me?"

Naruto raised his eyebrow at the cheek splitting irony. It's amazing how a change of appearance could put things into perspective. Before, he was a foul mouthed delinquent with a bleak future. Now, he was being pursued by the so-called "hottest" girls in his class. He smiled to himself.

"No thank you." He smiled, taking the high road. He didn't believe insults necessary.

Yet anyway.

Sakura officially lost her patience "WHY?! Is because of the pale-faced hussy of a cow? YOU. LOVE. M-"

The temperature dropped several degrees, interrupting her rant. She could literally feel the goosebumps. She was terrified when she felt a horrible feeling of impending doom. "Killing intent!" she had heard Iruka say. She looked around for the source only to find Naruto's muscles bulging in the effort of restraining Hinata whose eyes were becoming strangely discoloured and off-setting.

"C-Calm down H-Hime." Naruto strained shivering. In a ditch effort of ensuring Sakura's survival, Naruto kissed Hinata gently. He didn't know why he did it but it had the desired effect as she finally relaxed in his arms. The temperature slowly returned to normal.

Silence reined in the clearing as everyone watched his reaction.

He released her lips and gave her a pleading look. Hinata shot Sakura a glare that could stop hearts before nestling into Naruto's chest. Naruto kissed the side of her head in way of thanks for taking the high road. He looked careful to see Hinata's eyes tearing up. 'I didn't know she was sensitive about her skin…'

He turned his now hardened eyes on Sakura. She took a step back, as she should.

Now he was pissed.

"Why did you have to say that?! At first, I actually wanted to be friends with you regardless of how you treated me. But this incident has opened my eyes to the fact that you're just a narcissistic insecure Pettanko (flat chested girl) who spends more time pursuing a guy who will never like you than actually training! I'm no longer your punching bag so from this day on so I want you to STAY. THE FUCK. AWAY. FROM. ME!" He growled.

At this point, there was silence. The fangirls all stared in confusion. Not once had Naruto said such things to Sakura. They had always assumed that he would take anything she dished out without complaint.

Sakura held her face in her hands and ran away crying. Ino looked in her direction before following her.

Lee suddenly appears in a blur of black and green. He looked around, immediately sensing the tense atmosphere "What did I miss?"

Naruto frowned slightly "Absolutely nothing. Let's go guys."

They got up and left the Academy with everyone with the exception of Lee knowing where they were going. When they were far enough away, Naruto turned to Hinata and held her hand "If it's any consolation, I love your pale skin. It reminds me of the moon that I used to constantly look at when I was a kid with its ethereal glow…"

Hinata smiled and squeezed his hand with a large blush 'Sometimes he can say such wonderful things…'

"….and your rack isn't half bad either!" he finished, smiling sheepishly.

Everyone facefaulted.

Sasuke recovered first and questioned Lee "Who are you?"

"That's Lee." Naruto introduced "Our taijutsu specialist who was born without the ability to perform Ninjutsu and Taijutsu."

"That must suck." Sasuke snorted.

"Don't get it twisted Sasuke. By my estimates, Lee can kick both our asses without much effort." Naruto explained.

"You boast too much of my exploits Naruto-kun!" Lee grinned.

"But he only has Taijutsu. How can he beat you Naru-kun?" Hinata asked, slightly off put by Lee's use of the "-kun" suffix.

"The Hyugas all only use Taijutsu and yet they're the most powerful clan in Konoha. Don't overestimate me Hime. I only began seriously training last night. In the end, Taijutsu is the base skill of all ninjas and Lee here is out to prove it to be the strongest."

'**Such modesty,' **Kurama marvelled **'This kid surprises me at every turn.'**

Sasuke kept silent contemplating Naruto's words. If Naruto was capable of defeating him and Lee could defeat Naruto then he couldn't really argue the Lee's condition to be a disability. He obviously had talent. The question that stumped Sasuke was why Naruto kept recruiting others. 'Perhaps it has something to do with his ambitions?' Sasuke realised that he never asked Naruto about his dreams and ambitions. He never gave it any thought because he was so convinced Itachi was guilty. He knew that there were some inconsistencies with the night of his clan's massacre that just didn't add up. Things like Itachi wearing his ANBU uniform, his calm personality taking such violent turn, his near obsessive loyalty to Konoha and his unique choice of words after that horrible genjutsu.

"_Hate me. Despise me. Loathe me."_

Sasuke could have sworn there was a double meaning in those words.

Or was he over thinking everything? Lee's voice took him from his thoughts.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"Oh yeah. You haven't seen it yet, have you?" Naruto remembered.

"Seen what?" Lee inquired.

"You'll see." Naruto then turned to Hinata "Could you…?"

"Byakugan!" Hinata scanned for a while before seeing nothing "We're good."

They entered a clearing and waited on Naruto. He created five shadow clones before dispelling three. The other two took to the trees.

"What were the clones for?" Sasuke questioned.

"Reconnaissance." Was his reply.

Lee watched carefully as Naruto then ran his hand out in front of him and a big blue circle holding a bunch of squiggly lines appeared before them jumping Lee.

Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder "Trust Naruto. He knows what he's doing, most of the time."

Naruto's hands began moving hypnotically writing up even more squiggly lines.

Naruto often wondered how he was able to analyse and correct this array so easily the first time. He now knew the answer to be his Uzumaki blood. He believed that such prowess had to be hereditary since he didn't know shit about any of this stuff before today. He was once again proud of his ancestry.

The blue circle disappeared in a white light taking Naruto with it.

"Naruto!" Lee yelled.

Hinata followed soon after.

He turned to Sasuke "What's going on here?!"

"Relax," Sasuke pushed him forward causing him to disappear.

"You'd swear he's never been teleported before." Sasuke shook his head before disappearing as well.

_**In the Sandaime's office…**_

A calloused hand reached for a sheet of paper from the seemingly self-replenishing pile before him. Hollow world-weary eyes reviewed another appeal from the civilian council for personal ninja bodyguards. Being the fifth appeal the Kage had turned down for the week, he was tempted to just accept it and be done with it.

There was a time when he wouldn't have given such a ludicrous request a second thought. There was a time when he commanded legions of ninjas into perilous Wars against neighbouring countries. There was a time when his village gave him the respect that he so deserved.

Such a time had passed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, was merely a title. Hiruzen didn't feel like he commanded anything outside of his office. The village basically ran itself at this point. In council meetings, he was just a formality. No one believed his opinions to be worthwhile simply because there wasn't any authority behind him when he gave his them. The civilian council were gaining more and more power with his teammates Koharu and Homura as their leaders. Danzo overruled all his decisions and was slowly poisoning the minds of his Ninja council with his militaristic ideals.

How did it get to this?

This was a question he often asked himself. A little over 11 years ago, he had already chosen a successor and was looking forward to his retirement. His son had been chosen to join to the elite core of the Twelve Guardian Ninja who protected the Fire Daimyo. The village had been running smoothly as the top Elemental Nation and had been producing many talented rookies that would ensure that Konoha stayed on top in the coming. He and his wife Modoka were looking forward to a tour of the Elemental Nations as a second honeymoon.

'Modoka…'

In just one night, everything had been so violently changed in ways no one could have predicted. The Kyuubi had been released. Thousands of ninja had to give their lives to keep it at bay. Large sections of the village had been destroyed. His wife and Kushina had been killed by some unknown ninja. His successor had given his life to reseal the demon into his own son.

Ever since that day, nothing had been the same. After the council meetings, funerals and public addresses, he climbed into his bed and cried for hours on end. He had wanted to just stay there and mourn the loss of his dear Modoka.

But he couldn't.

He had a village to lead. There was a frenzy of activity and discontentment in his village that needed to be settled. He attempted to placate them in the only way he could think of. He told them that the Kyuubi had been imprisoned once again in a little baby boy named Naruto. He had thought that this would have let them feel a small sense of victory at the fact that the demon had been defeated in the honour of their fallen comrades and family.

He had been wrong.

He hadn't taken into consideration that their wounds would have been so deep so as to blame the poor child for their losses. They had immediately asked for Naruto's execution on the grounds that his death would avenge their loved ones. He had of course denied the request and instated the law forbidding anyone from speaking about the boy's burden.

But as he looked at Naruto from behind the nursery glass screen, he couldn't help but wonder how his life would have been if it hadn't been for the child's birth. Kushina's seal had weakened because of the birth causing the Kyuubi to be released and had set everything in motion that horrible night. He couldn't help but feel a small amount of anger towards the child for his indirect part of Modoka's death. But even with this in mind, he still tried to fend of the numerous death attempts on the boy.

As time went on, he eventually discovered that Naruto was as normal as any child. If a little hyperactive. He treated the boy as his own against the wishes of the council. Then the day had come when Danzo had gained the majority vote in his campaign in having the child placed in the orphanage.

Hiruzen had often told himself that he had done all he could but he knew better. He knew that he had decided the child to be too stressful and had willingly relinquished his guardianship. Some of the Clan Heads had begun losing faith in his ability to lead after he had intentionally tossed the poor child to the "wolves" they knew the civilian council would be. When his guilt came knocking, he placed the boy's inheritance in a compound account and surveyed the boy's life in his crystal ball for the first few years.

As he stared at the now dusty crystal ball, he realised how much he had failed Minato and Kushina. They had intrusted to him a simple task: Protect our son. A task he had failed miserably. Setting down the various forms and documents assigned to him for the day, he dragged his crystal ball in front of him.

'I might as well start somewhere…'

Channelling his chakra and focusing on his intended target, an image began to materialise. Then another image materialised along with it. The images showed two VERY different looking Narutos going about their activities. The first one was out shopping buy what seemed to be cup ramen and pocky sweets. Hiruzen chuckled at this. 'He always had an obsession for ramen though his pocky obsession is new.'

The second one was actually close to his Tower seemingly observing it from a safe distance. This one he decided to focus his attention on. He knew that Naruto couldn't multiply himself using Bushin No Jutsu due to his chakra reserves being too big. This he knew beforehand from his mother who had struggled with the same issue. And even if he had found a way to do it, such range was unheard of. 'The way I see it, it's probably a spy who had Henged his/herself into Naruto as a disguise. But the why did the Ball lock me onto the intruder? It's supposed to be able to see through disguises…'

It just didn't add up.

'Perhaps the ball malfunctions after prolonged inactivity?' That was a possibility. Either way, this 'Naruto' needed closer investigation. Another thing that he had noticed was Narutos' appearance. The boy looked more like a muscular 16 year old man than the 11 year old boy that he was supposed to be. The boy also had a few more characteristics that signalled his unique "condition". Claws? Fangs? Slits for eyes? Definitely NOT the little boy he had placed in the apartment 3 years ago. The venerable Kage knew that Jinchurikis were known to adopt features of the beast they were carrying but so many were unprecedented.

"Boar! Rabbit!"

Two kneeling shadows appeared before him.

"Yes Hokage-sama." Were their emotionless response.

"I need you to apprehend the individual on the rooftops north of here and bring him to me."

The two disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

From behind his desk, Hiruzen frowned and pulled out a broom seemingly from out of nowhere. Standing up, he walked to front of his desk and began sweeping.

"You'd think they would know by now that you can't use the FREAKING LEAF SHUSHIN INDOORS!" the war veteran ended with his voice raised.

'I'm getting too old for this shit.'

_**With Naruto Clone 2…**_

"**Kit?"**

'Yeah Kurama?' Naruto scribbled all possible entry and exit points down in his trusty notepad. He already had all the necessary information but, with such a high risk operation, it paid to be meticulous.

"**I sense a foreign chakra signature flowing over us."**

'Flowing?'

That was strange use for chakra. 'I suppose such chakra manipulation can be used for…' His eyes widened.

They needed to get out of there.

"**What?"**

'We're being spied upon! We gotta make tracks before-'

Two shadows silently landed upon the rooftop he was on. They were on either side of him.

'Fuck!'

"You will come with us." The one in the rabbit mask droned out with a distinctly feminine voice.

Naruto's mind was moving through a hundred plans per second. He knew of the Hokage's Crystal Ball as Hiruzen had shown it to him once when he was a child and that he was being watched at that very moment. He knew this was the first time the old bastard had sensed him. He also knew he was a Shadow Clone and therefore disposable. And he knew he couldn't let the old man know that he knew such an advanced jutsu.

Having formulated a plan, he scowled dramatically "Tell Oji-san that he's five years too late!" Quickly reaching into his utility pouch, he threw some smoke bombs on the rooftop. As the smoke dispersed outwards, he smiled at his performance and dispelled himself. In the market district, the other Naruto did the same, abandoning his ramen and pocky run with a sob.

_**Back in the Sandaime's office…**_

The Sandaime hung his head in shame. He now knew without a doubt that the person on the rooftops was Naruto. Only Naruto referred to him with such a disrespectful term. Also, no spy would know so much about Naruto's personal life. A life he had been absent in for 5 years.

As his ANBU returned to report the events, he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. He stood up and gathered his documents with a heavy sigh. He picked up Modoka' picture from his desk and kissed it before placing it gently into his shoulder bag. He walked over to the door and opened it to find his secretary with a fresh pile of paperwork.

"Hokage, you must stay here and commit yourself to your work!" the secretary scolded like a mother would a stubborn child.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. Had things really gotten this bad? Even his secretary refused to give him the respect he deserved. What did these people believe him to be? A poster boy!

'I believe it's time to clear up some misconceptions.'

"First of all, it's Hokage-sama! Secondly, I am Hokage of this village and I may do ANYTHING I so choose to. And lastly, know you place to be MY underling as a civilian and tone your inquiries accordingly. I am NOT your charge and I demand the respect my position so deserves. Do I make myself clear?"

The secretary was left speechless. The Hokage had never used such venom in his tone before. His mere presence seemed to be authoritarian in nature. She decided to step down knowing it was probably a bad day. 'He'll probably go back to being a submissive bitch by tomorrow.' She assured herself.

Right?

"Furthermore, I will be taking a two-day leave of absence so I would like you to send only the MOST important documents to my mansion. If I find any petty civilian requests amongst my assigned pile, I hope to find your resignation letter in there as well."

Not giving her the chance to answer, he walked out of the office and pulled out his picture of Modoka once more.

'Are you proud of me Modoka?'

He wasn't sure if it was a play on the light of the hallway or his imagination but he would be willing to bet his Saru (Monkey) Summoning Contract that she was smiling a bit brighter.

He kissed it again for good measure and Shushined in a "poof" of smoke.

_**Uzumaki-Namikaze Mansion…**_

Sasuke and Hinata sat in Naruto's lush living room with anmitsu and cinnamon buns in their respective laps. An awkward silence permeated the room as the two indulged in their favourite foods. Both parties really didn't have anything to say to each other as their only thing in common wasn't in the room.

But even though they were at each other's throats, glaring similarities could be found. Their sitting posture, eating speed and dining etiquette were all impeccable. They were both well versed in the customs of nobility and were expert conversationalists although, at the moment, they didn't show it. Neither of them wished to raise the white flag as they both felt that they had done nothing wrong.

Sasuke didn't even know what he did in the first place which was probably why he relented first.

"Okay. I just gotta know. What are your qualms with me? Here I am sitting down here angry and I have no clue what I'm angry about to begin with. Usually, I have something to visualize when I brood but I don't have anything to work with. I don't even know why you hate me in the first place. I'm just saying that if you're gonna be pissed at someone, you should, at the very least, make sure that they're aware of what you're angry about in the first place."

Hinata calmly chewed and swallowed the rest of her cinnamon bun and picked up another before finally responding "I suppose such a thing is fair."

Sasuke sighed in relief and placed his anmitsu back on the coffee table. 'Progress.'

"Fine I'll tell you why I don't like you. I've been watching Naruto closely since we've met and I've never seen someone treat him as bad as the villagers do except for you. Everyday in the Academy for the last 3 years I've seen you belittle him, ignore him and go above and beyond in spars to humiliate him. And the worst part is that I've seen Naruto get hit over the head with a bottle by a drunken village and walk it off without a problem but when you treat him like trash it gets to him and I don't know why!"

Sasuke closed his eyes. Had things really been that bad between them? Sure he had treated Naruto with cool indifference for the past three years but did it really get to him as much as Hinata said it did? 'It couldn't be true. Nothing fazes Naruto.'

"If I did treat him so horrible, then why did he forgive me so easily?"

Hinata walked up to him and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt "Because that's what he does! He forgives people who treat him like shit! He takes it all in and slaps on a smile so that everyone around him won't worry! But when he's by himself…" She paused, her voice cracking.

A teardrop fell on to Sasuke's cheek as he tried not to look her in the eyes. Hinata forced his eyes back on hers. Forcing him to see the pain he caused.

"You see these tears? This is the closest thing to Naruto crying that you're gonna see! Because he doesn't cry! Because he grew up alone foolishly believe that they don't solve anything. That they don't stop the hurt, even for a little while. All those feelings bottled up in a little boy who thinks that fake smiles are better than real ones! ALL BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY FUCKING REAL ONES TO GIVE ANYMORE!" she finished her rant all but screaming. A pinkish miasma began to leak from her pores before disappearing.

She released his collar and shoved him back into the couch. She went back to her seat and picked back up her cinnamon buns.

"And even after all of this, he still loves you like a brother. Because that's the kind of loving, big-hearted and generous person he is. So Sasuke the next time you wonder why I don't want invite you to a fucking picnic, know now that you have your answer. Some "brother" you are." She finished calmly and resumed her eating.

Sasuke was gobsmacked. He had no clue that this was what He had nothing to say so he just hung his head and croaked out "Sorry."

"I don't want your half-assed apology Uchiha. Quite frankly, I wish you didn't even exist. Your brother should have finished the job while he was ahead."

Sasuke slammed his hands on the table and glared at her in hatred. She knew she had gone too far but she wasn't willing to back down. Not in the least.

"I said I'm sorry okay?! I fucked up. I know that. But don't you sit there for a moment and think you've been through the same things I have!" he yelled.

"Please Uchiha I've heard your story a million times and quite frankly I'm not impressed." Hinata stated as if discussing the weather.

"At least you still have your clan. Mine's got wiped out by my brother! My closest friend and confidant!"

"And I don't know pain?! Some things are worse than genocide. Some things are worse than having your bonds ripped away!" she sneered.

"Like what?!"

"Like having your father and sister beat the shit out of you on a daily basis! Like having your closest cousin hate you for something you couldn't control! Like having your own kin treat you with hate and disdain because you were born in a different father!"

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"You brood and answer everything with one syllable grunts because you've lost your bonds. Well, I don't have any in my clan to begin! Because if everyone in my clan except me were to be exterminated, I would only truly miss one person and even then not so much! Your "pain" is overrated Uchiha and just because everyone babies since you're a flight risk doesn't mean I have to either! You can leave anytime you want!"

Sasuke just grit his teeth and returned to his anmitsu. Hinata shook her head and turned back to her cow cold cinnamon buns.

Both parties said nothing more. Nothing more could be said.

A pregnant silence invaded the room once more…

_**In the Uzumaki-Namikaze training room…**_

Oblivious to the "discussion" above them, Naruto and Lee were having quite the animated chat while Naruto applied the necessary blood kanji by Kurama's mental instructions for the Brethren Rite.

"Oho! Most youthful lineage Naruto-kun! The blood of two powerful warriors flow through you! You must join me in my morning pre-warm-up warm up!"

"Yare yare! It's not all that impressive!" Naruto beamed as he ran his blood soaked fingers on the floor in front of him. Play it down he might, he was still extremely proud of his parentage.

"But it is indeed. The Yondaime is revered as the most powerful Kage Konoha has ever produced with the exception of the Shodaime of course!" Lee grinned.

"**He wasn't all that great…" **Kurama grumbled.

'He was good enough for you wasn't he?' Naruto jibed.

"**Quiet you simian!"**

'Monkey this, ape that. All your insults revolve around comparisons between me and primates. Get some new material why don'tcha?' Naruto smirked.

"**That's because you WERE all apes when I found you! I am Kyuubi no Yoko! I am the beginning and-"**

'-yet you're the one stuck in the cage while an 'ape' like me is out here. I'd say I'm pretty evolved wouldn't you?'

Before Kurama could respond, Naruto cut him off to focus on his task. With a few more markings, he had finally finished.

"Whew! Demonic fuinjutsu sure is tiring. That took hours. I'm impressed Lee. Usually, you would be jumping off the walls doing some overly complicated exercise."

"The thought of me gaining a chakra reserve is more than enough to keep me still."

Naruto smiled. If everything went right, Lee would be leaving his house a new man. Literally.

"If this isn't calligraphy training, I don't know what is. But just in case…Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Four clones appeared in a poof of smoke and went around observing the seal for inaccuracies.

"**Okay kit. Focus and begin releasing your chaotic youkai. ONLY your youkai. If you so much as nibble into mine, you'll kill him."**

Nodding, Naruto dispersed his clones. He quickly got back the memories assuring him of the seal's integrity.

He then began gathering his youkai. Lee looked up as felt the trickle of power flow of him. It then exploded outwards as Naruto could be seen struggling.

Naruto felt an uneasy vibe settle over him as he released his youkai. It was as if every cell in his body was trying to do moving in a different direction. His body began vibrating speeds he didn't know possible.

Lee gasped as a purple tail began forming behind Naruto. It was soon accompanied by an entire shroud of malevolent chakra as the energy began to wrap around his hands and head forming claws and ears respectively.

Naruto was still trying to come to grips with the amazing energy flowing through him. He wondered however why he felt there was more somewhere inside him. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Kurama chuckling in the recesses of his mind.

"**Of course it would be that." **Kurama shook his head smiling.

'What?'

"**When the metamorphosis occurred, since the chakra came from an animalistic chakra source, your new chakra took the embodiment of another animal upon its transition. I was only now able to sense it because of you drawing on the shroud."**

'Aw! Please don't tell me it's something lame like lemur!'

"**Actually, it's the wolf. I suppose it's only fitting. Wolves are strong-willed, vigilant, and value pack mentality above all else. They're also supposed to be very intelligent and co-ordinated which is why I find it hard to believe that you fit the description.**

'Fuck you Kurama!' Naruto scowled even though he was secretly proud of his animal embodiment.

"**Anyway, let me take over for this part."**

Lee watched as Naruto began speaking in some sort of ancient tongue. His eyes widened as the blood seals on the floor began glowing purple. Slowly, the structures became serpentine and began moving until the reach his body. It felt as if liquid flames were climbing up his body toward his left bicep. He bit his lips to stop from screaming in pain.

Naruto then grasped Lee's hand seemingly in support and began channelling his chakra into him. He tried to keep his mind of his hand being crushed as Lee's screams burst from his bleeding lips and echoed through the cellar. Naruto held him down as the kanji crawled over Lee's body.

"ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"**Something's wrong! It's supposed to hurt but not this much! I can sense Lee's body rejecting your chakra! What did you do?!"**

'I did everything to the letter!'

Lee's screams only rose in intensity as Naruto's own chakra began to push him away from Lee.

"**You must have channelled some of my chakra by accident! He's going to die!"**

'But I didn't!'

Naruto knew that Kyuubi's chakra would kill Lee even if he stopped the ritual. 'I have to save Lee somehow! I can't let him die!' Naruto thought quickly as to how he could save Lee and something came to mind.

'I have to somehow make my chakra eclipse Kyuubi's but first I have to consolidate my chakra in his body!'

Thinking quickly, he stuck his hand into Lee's mouth and used his other to close his mouth. He felt his blood drip into Lee's mouth but it wasn't enough.

"Lee! I need you to drink my blood now or you'll die!"

Lee was so occupied fighting against a foreign energy in his body he barely registered Naruto's words.

"Lee…..drink…blood….die!"

At this point, he was willing to do anything to stop the pain. He quickly bit down and allowed the rusty taste to flow down his throat.

Naruto finally felt the chakra output calm down as Lee's body finally began to accept his chakra. His tail slowly disappeared as Lee's body began to undergo changes.

His body grew several inches in both length and width. His hair lost its glossy sheen and became somewhat spiky that reached his neck and shadowed his eyes. His nails lengthened to claws and so did his canines. The serpentine structures finally settled on his left bicep in the form of the red Kanji for Chaos.

The chakra finally settled as Naruto vaguely registered Kurama's voice **"Finally, a hybrid after my own heart…"**

Naruto helped Lee from his kneeling position.

"How do you feel Lee?"

Lee's eyes slowly raised his head. His entire body rumbled as he chuckled in a timbre he didn't know he had. Twin dark red slitted orbs met Naruto amethyst ones.

"**Youthful…."**

Sorry for the long wait! I hope it was worth it. Couldn't reach 20,000 as I hoped but in the next one I just might. Gimme some reviews so I'll know if I improved a bit.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! It's amazing how well this story is coming together although I haven't watched or read Naruto in the past 5 years, believe it or not. I officially stopped watching when Naruto returned from Konoha powerless. That was the last straw for me. I was gonna start back but then I heard Jiraiya died so I just decided that life no longer had meaning (LOL). All I know is that there's some war going on and everyone's getting revived or some shit like that.

Btw, I know there are some inaccuracies like me naming the Third's wife Modoka instead of Biwako but are they really THAT important? LOL! Come on! While I'm at it, why don't I change Naruto back to a malnourished orphan who lives in a crappy apartment with no talent or women? Hiruzen's wife's dead anyway but I guess those are the kind of reviews I asked for so keep 'em coming.

I got a lot of suggestions that were both good and bad about the story BUT I already have the outline of the next ten or so chapters swimming in my head. I want to reveal sooooo much about it but it would be against the whole "mystery" vibe I've seen a lot of good authors portray.

I really want to develop some of your pairings but this story will develop STRICTLY around Naruto and his CLOSE group of friends. I'm not gonna be putting a lot of emphasis on pairings in the village since there's gonna be a little Konoha bashing in this fic. Also, I've seen the term "beta" and I'd like to know what it's about. Tell me about it in a review or something. I know what a "lemon" is and they won't be coming for a while as I want my pairings to move slowly towards intimacy as people would in real life (well NORMAL people anyway). I'll take as many suggestions into consideration as possible without screwing with my plot. Well anyway, grab a carton of drinkable sausage, sit back relax and enjoy the show!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"**Demon talking"**

'**Demon thinking'**

"_**Arashi talking"**_

'_**Arashi thinking'**_

**Disclaimer: To pay respect where it's due, this is Kishimoto's work. If it was mine, it would have swords, explosions and bitches in that order! Just sayin'!**

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 7**

**Unexpected**

It was an unspoken rule amongst ninja that no plan survives the battlefield. It was therefore incorporated into the Academy curriculum for ninja-hopefuls to develop a sense of quick thinking and spontaneous planning to survive in the field. This was supposed to account for Murphy's dreaded Law which stated that all that can go wrong will. However, due to the Civilian Council's meddling in the Academy syllabus so that their children would have a greater chance at becoming a ninja, a lot of emphasis had been taken off some of the more crucial ninja faculties. This aside, Murphy's Law chooses its victims careful and on this quiet night it had decided that its newest prey would be none other than Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto watched his unknown interloper scale the Hokage Tower avoiding all the "hidden" sentries of ANBU guards as if they were child's play. He sighed and was tempted to burn his notepads to smithereens. The person was obviously skilled and his/her destination was the same room that housed the Fan Scroll and the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing. He knew he couldn't just ignore a potential spy, copy his target Scroll and go on his merry way. This intruder was trying to obtain either Scroll which would cause the village a lot of problems. Some of these problems might pertain to him and this was something he simply could risk.

"**Our intruder is most definitely a female."**

'Of course. Why should killing this person be easy? Sure, make her a female and spit in the face of my morals.'

"**You've got to get over that hero complex kit. Konoichi are masters of seduction and deception. I don't want you to fall at the hands of one of them. You have to learn to kill ninja of BOTH sexes if you intend to excel in this harsh world."**

'Hai sensei.'

He needed to kill this person. It would be the first of many and he had to begin somewhere. He steeled himself, concealed his Jounin-level reserves to the best of his ability and vanished into the night.

_**Inside the Vault Room…**_

Karin landed silently on the wooden floor of the Vault Room and looked up to see her to prize. The Forbidden Scroll of Sealing which was on a wooden podium at the centre of the room. The one next to it interested her more though. It was black scroll with blue horizontal lines stripping on its entirety. The most peculiar thing about it was that it had a red and white fan on the front. She had been taught enough about Konoha clans by Orochimaru to know that it represented the Uchiha Clan. She also knew that he had an obsession with their "divine" eyes and that he planned to steal a pair in the foreseeable future. How she just didn't know….

Snapping back to reality, she reached and picked up her objective but not before releasing a pulse of her special chakra to disarm the traps around it. Hefting the scroll, she smiled and used her sensor abilities to scan her surrounding area. Like a sonar, she received the outlines of three small organisms she deduced to be rats that had found their way through the door. Nodding to herself, she turned to the Scroll and could not resist taking a peek of its contents:

_**Kage Bushin no Jutsu**__  
Shadow Clone Technique  
Jutsu Class: Ninjutsu  
Rank: A  
Range: 0 - 5 meter  
Type: Multi-faceted  
Requirements: High chakra reserves, Strong mind.  
Hand Seal: Crossed Ram seals.  
Creator: Unknown.  
Status: Complete._

_The user is able to create solid clones of his/herself capable of memory feedback, espionage etc. Dispelled with ease according to chakra output. Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu is the advance form of Kage Bushin no Jutsu. The user is able to create hundreds of clones according to the user's chakra and skill._

_**Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei**__  
Summoning: Impure World Resurrection  
Jutsu Class: Ninjutsu  
Rank: S  
Range: 0 - 5 meter  
Type: Interrogative  
Requirements. DNA sample of target, Living Sacrifice.  
Hand Seal: Tiger - Snake (Serpent) - Dog - Dragon & then clap 2 hands together  
Creator: Nidaime Hokage Tobirama Senju  
Status: Discontinued._

_Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei is the ability to summon the dead from the graveyard by sacrificing a host. The dead will be brought back to life as real human but their personalities and emotions are absent. Revived are capable of recalling details of the past but are unable to control themselves._

_**Fushi Tensei**__  
Living Corpse Reincarnation  
Jutsu: Ninjutsu  
Rank: S  
Range: 0 - 5 meter  
Type: Unknown  
Requirements: Living Human….  
Hand Seal: Dragon – Ram – Dog – Tiger - ?  
Creator: Orochimaru  
Status: DISCONTINUED by Order of Hokage._

_Fushi Tensei is the ability to inhabit a host. This technique enables the user to devour the soul of another person and claim the body as his/her own. There is a 3 year span between transfers of bodies as the soul's link to the host is not permanent. Resilient souls require stronger chakra output…._

Karin dropped the Scroll and stepped back in shock. Her loving master had created such an abomination of a jutsu? Not possible. And to make matters worse, she saw notes beneath it showing that he had every intention of finishing it when he left. She believed Orochimaru to be a bit eccentric but if this scroll was true then he really did have his eyes set on immortality no matter the cost of those around him….

'Such a jutsu is a fate worse than death….The target's soul has no chance to go on to the afterlife…to atone for their sins or savour their rewards. It's so vile…..'

In her stupor, she failed to notice the "poof" of smoke signifying the arrival of another in her midst…

_**A few minutes earlier…**_

For Naruto, it was a simple matter of following the route left so graciously by his fellow female thief. The route she had taken was even better than his own as it passed near the ANBU guards without detection. He did however make sure he remembered the rotation schedule so that he would be able to get out before they changed posts. He hefted the large blank Scroll on his back and used his animal-like agility to scale the wall leading to the room.

Clinging to the wall, he whispered "Kage Bushin no Jutsu." Three clones of him appeared and all four Narutos Henged into rodents who entered the Tower with three slowly bypassing the traps on the way to the Vault while one headed to other side of the tower.

'This is an awesome ability! To think that my Henge actually enables me to shape-shift rather than the illusion everyone else is capable of.'

"**That's just one of the abilities unique only to fox demons that you acquired after the metamorphosis. Consider yourself thankful of my gifts." **Kurama smugly boasted.

'Is there anything you aren't a smug bastard about?'

"_**If there is, then I don't think we're ever gonna find out…."**_

"**Shush you!"**

Tuning out the bickering of his mental tenants, he made his way to the Vault Room where he finally got a good look of the spy's appearance without the hood. She had short but beautiful red hair that reminded him of his mother's with piercing red eyes. Her hair attracted him more than anything as he found himself hard pressed to imagine killing her. He also observed that she was in her mid-teens and closer to his age than he had originally thought. Though the rest of her body was covered with a long black cloak, he was able to deduce that she had a rather plain figure.

'With a chest more miniscule than Sakura's…'

"_**I concur. She will not be able to please us."**_

"**Your mates must have voluptuous bodies and child bearing hips to carry your seed! Now Hinata on the other ha-"**

'What is wrong with the two of you?! She's not my type and stop listening in on my thoughts!'

He watched her closely as she looked between both Scrolls before choosing the large green one on the left and opening it. He knew the one on the right had to be Sasuke's since it had his symbol on it. As she read, he instructed his clones to stay around the door and window to alert him of changes. He himself scampered closer to her and stood near her and waited.

"**What are you waiting for?"**

'Don't know. Gimme a sec.'

"**Every second is a blessing kit. You're messing with Jounin level Shinobi here."**

'I know. The same Shinobi I used to prank and escape countless times. Give me some credit here.'

"**I know you're just stalling kit. I can read your thoughts remember? I know that you're thinking of ways to spare her but I'm telling you it won't work. She's a threat to village security and, until further notice, your security as well."**

'What about interrogation? Perhaps we can find out something about where she's from….there has gotta be another way! I just know it!'

"**Kit if you want to be a ninja in this world, you've got to kill your heart. Once you enter battlefield, you've become a machine with preprogramed objectives. There no place for hesit-"**

Naruto cut him off. He knew that emotions were a burden on the battlefield but he also knew that once a life could be saved, it should be saved consequences be damned. If she proved to be problem, he would do as he must but he intended to cling to his humanity for as long as possible.

Suddenly, the girl dropped the scroll and stepped back in shock. Whatever was in that scroll had terrified the shit out of her. His mouse nose thankfully told him that his analogy had not been correct. Besides, girls don't shit. Their rear ends are filled with unicorn dust and rainbows.

Right?

His window clone dispelled itself telling him that he had run out of time 5 minutes earlier than schedule. The ANBU were now changing their rotation and he hadn't even begun to copy the Scroll. Whatever he was going to do he had to do quickly.

'When it rains, it fucking pours doesn't it?'

He released his Henge and jabbed a pressure point on her neck. As her body crumpled into his, he laid her down gently on the floor and unsealed his large scroll. He quickly grabbed the Fan Scroll and opened it. Luckily, Kurama had taught him a technique that allowed the writings of one scroll to be transferred to another in mere moments.

He went through five quick hand signs and whispered deeply **"Onipou:****Sukuriputo no jōto****! **(Demon Art: Transfer of Scripts!)**"**

The writing on the Fan Scroll glowed purple. An exact copy floated above the original writing before flying off the paper and onto his own scroll as quickly as his slitted eyes could follow. He then reached down and slung her over his shoulder waiting anxiously for it to finish. His other clone dispersed telling him that his primary exit point at the hall's window had been compromised and that it had found another alternative near the mission hall.

It would be close….

The Scroll finished copying and he rolled it back up and placed both Scrolls back on the podium-like structure in the exact way he had found them. He attached his copy to a clip on his lower back. He hefted the girl's thankfully petite frame and glided through the halls with his own cloak silently sliding on the cold red mahogany floors. He ran down the staircase with his chakra at its lowest point.

"**Kit they know you're here! I can sense them converging to the mission hall!" **Kurama yelled finally being free from his mental block.

'Now you tell me?! And since when does the ANBU have fucking sensors?!'

"**YOU'RE THE ONE WHO FUCKING BLOCKED ME!"**

His sensitive nose and ears detected multiple presences behind the doors in front of him. He darted back up the stairs cursing Murphy all the way. He ran to the highest floor and backed against the Hokage's office doors. There, a shadow appeared before him revealing himself to be the missing clone who then handed him a small scroll and dispelled itself. Naruto sighed in relief as the clone had found what he wanted and then growled when he realised that the clone had inadvertently attracted the attention of the ANBU. Thankfully, it hadn't been seen. Just sensed.

He surveyed the hall to find that near the secretary's desk was a single window.

'They must have renovated! Thank Kami…..'

He opened it and peeked through to see shadows from all around the village converging to the Tower. They were still far away but it scared him nonetheless.

'Fuck me!'

Thinking quickly, he sealed the scroll away into a containment seal on his hip. He then quickly ripped the girl's robe into a smaller strips and used them to tie her to his back tied her to his back. He pocketed the rest with haste making sure that not a single strip remained.

"**Why are you so obsessed with this accursed female?! Leave her! She's nothing but trouble!" **

'She's a human being and I won't let her get hurt!'

Having said his opinion, he Henged into a dark red wolf that blended into the red shade of the building. He then jumped through the window, channelled chakra to his paws to stick the vertical surface and quickly made his way to the roof. Here, he channelled even more chakra to his paws but for propulsion rather than adhesion.

'Here goes!'

He shot off the roof top and descended into the darkness of the night just as reinforcements arrived.

_**At the Namikaze-Uzumaki estate dojo….**_

Lee was feeling ecstatic. As he did inverted thumb-ups with his feet supporting a large boulder, he grinned at the feeling of his chakra coursing through his system. Usually, he felt a small trickle of it here and there in his body but to feel it everywhere at once was euphoria. Not only that, his body was all round stronger, faster and far more resilient.

The only thing that had suffered was his Goken. It simply didn't feel all natural anymore. He went through the katas without the same feeling of smoothness he was accustomed to. He could use it still but it was missing something. Like his body and the style no longer matched…

He smiled as he kicked the boulder up to the ceiling. He then corrected himself to stand up where he caught the boulder in his hands above his head. He placed it on the floor outside the dojo and smiled to himself.

'And to think that I owe all of this to Naruto…'

There was the other peculiar thing he learned about himself in the last few hours. Just thinking of Naruto give him a feeling of reverence and submissiveness. Of course he had already sworn Naruto his allegiance and it had been further reinforced by Naruto giving him his own substantial reserves of chakra but since his transformation, he had felt a really strong feeling of kinship and respect for Naruto that felt right. Like he would give his life for Naruto and not mind. He now saw Naruto as a brother and leader in all definitions of the words and he liked that feeling. A sense of belonging and family that had evaded him for as long as he could remember…

'Naruto gave me a second chance at life and the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I guess serving him has naturally become one of my ambitions….'

Naruto had also left him with a chakra control exercise that he had taken him a few hours to complete. Naruto wasn't lying when he said his chakra was unstable. The first time he had attempted to do the tree walking exercise the tree had cracked under his feet. But it was nothing compared to the broken tree next to it that signified Naruto's attempt of the same exercise. The tree looked like it had been blasted with a fire jutsu at the middle point.

He thought back to his old life with Gai. Gai was the closest thing he had to a father. He remembered how they used to bond through their training sessions. How Gai would tell him that one's strength must be used to protect those that need it and for the betterment of the village. Lee agreed with the first part but not the second. After the things he'd seen, he genuinely didn't believe this village deserved his protection. He still wanted to make amends with Gai though. Even though they now walked different paths, he still didn't want to let go of their history.

He made his way upstairs to his assigned bedroom and a good night's rest only to hear the front door open and close. He went to the living room where he found the most peculiar sight. Naruto stood leaning over the couch in the centre of the living room holding an unconscious teenaged girl who looked completely unaware of her potential fate.

Naruto, having long since sensed Lee enter the room, looked up and grinned sheepishly "I can explain…."

Lee just raised an eyebrow "Please do."

_**At Root Headquarters….**_

Danzo was known for many things. His influence, his cynical view of the ninja world and his lust for power to name a few. His patience, however, was not one of them. According to the report from the underling before him, Naruto Uzumaki had gone missing and could not be found at any of his usual areas. He had just disappeared into the wind with no way to locate him.

'Konoha's weapon has been getting rather…quiet as of lately…'

The boy had stopped his pranks, curbed his appetite for ramen and disappeared for prolonged periods of time. Such a high profiled individual as Naruto had been doing things that defied his usual behaviours. Also, Danzo was furious to find out that the boy had found an unknown place to escape his watchful eyes…or eye as the case may be.

His change in appearance coupled with his sightings with the Hyuga Heiress and Uchiha Heir befuddled him as the unlikely friendship left him with little to go on. The boy was leaving his self-imposed isolation which Danzo had orchestrated for so long. He had campaigned so hard for the boy's isolation to the orphanage all those years ago in the hopes that it would have weakened the boy's mental defences and left him susceptible to his "remodelling" into his Root forces. The same could be said of Sasuke who craved power for vengeance and Hinata who craved freedom from her oppressive and self-destructive clan. But now his plan was falling apart. These three preteens would have served him well apart but problems would now arise out of their unity.

'What is this boy hiding or more importantly…where?'

That was the question he wanted to answer. The boy certainly wasn't at his apartment which had been unoccupied for the past couple of days. He leaned back in his chair having already dismissed his soldier thinking a solution to his latest conundrum. A dastardly smile stretched across his weathered face.

'To draw a rat out of its hole, one must use the appropriate bait. And also, why should I exert effort when others can do it for me…'

He reached for his pen and began writing down his newest plan…

_**At the Hyuga Compound….**_

Hinata crawled tiredly into bed wearing nothing but one of Naruto's tee-shirts and a pair of pink panties. She yawned cutely and pulled the covers over her body. She grumbled as she found that she couldn't enjoy the shirt like she wanted to simply because she was upset with the person it belonged to. She inhaled deeply and smiled.

'Ah….. smells like grass and freedom. Just like Naruto…..Fuck! How am I supposed to be angry with you if you smell so good and make me feel this way!' she rubbed her thighs together in silent frustration.

She sat up and stared at the ceiling as she thought about their first "fight", if you could call it that…

_**Hours earlier….**_

_Naruto entered the living room looking as sexy as always but he had a guest with him. It took Hinata some time to realise that the individual standing next to him was Lee. Time and a lot of squinting._

"_Lee?!"_

"_Hello Hinata! Naruto has helped me reach my springtime!" came Lee's deep reply._

_Naruto looked around "Where's the Teme?"_

_Hinata's eyes narrowed "He decided to go home early."_

"_Oh okay. I was about to get his…." Naruto trailed off suspiciously "money for him."_

_Hinata placed her hands on her hips. She had known Naruto for a lot longer than even Naruto knew and she knew that Naruto was naturally a very bad liar. A master of bending the truth and manipulation but a bad liar nonetheless._

"_Naruto…" Hinata began._

"_Listen it's not all that important and…" Naruto waved his hands in front of him._

"_Naruto…."_

"_C'mon Hime. It doesn't even concern…"_

"_Naruto!"_

"_Fine! I'm leaving in a few minutes to get Sasuke's clan scroll for him."_

"_I believe the onomatopoeia for the cracking of a whip would be most appropriate for this youthful squabble: Whipash!" Lee interjected while doing planks._

"_Hey! I'm not whipped in any way, shape or form! In fact…" Naruto defended before taking off his shirt "Hinata drop this issue and I'll give you my shirt."_

"_Okay." Hinata smiled innocently._

_Naruto gave her the shirt which she sniffed deeply and then stuck in her own shirt before turning back to Naruto "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I don't think you should go through with this."_

"_B-b-but you lied to me!" Naruto yelled pointing his finger._

"_You always call me princess so I'm just living up to my title. Princesses get whatever they want." Hinata reasoned while shrugging._

"_You do call her that a lot." Lee added while doing upside down crunches on the fire place._

"_Whose side are you on?! And get down from there!" Naruto yelled before running a hand through his hair "Who would have thought the Hyuga Heiress would have been so demanding?"_

"_I could have told you that." Lee smiled now balancing a couch on his feet while on his back._

"_Lee if you want to do your crazy exercises, go to the dojo down the hall." Naruto sighed making Lee drop the couch and backflip out of the room._

"_He's like a dynamo." Hinata giggled._

"_Yea. He's always been the more….eccentric between the two of us." Naruto smiled._

"_I find that hard to believe." _

_There was a short pause before Naruto remembered they were arguing "And I don't think you have a say in what I do for my friends!"_

"_Yes I do! I'm your girlfriend!" Hinata yelled indignantly._

_Naruto then lifted her up and threw her over a shoulder before carrying her upstairs to his bedroom. She squealed in delight all the way and "eeped" when he threw her down in the large mattress._

"_You know Naruto that if you wanted me this badly you could have just asked me…" she mewled spreading out seductively on his King-sized bed. She knew Naruto could see her bra straining against her purple top begging to be freed. A request she was sure Naruto would grant before he stopped himself for some unknown reason._

"_Would you please stop doing that?" Naruto looked away obviously conflicted._

"_Why? You have needs…I have needs…" she smiled slyly secretly elated that she could elicit such a response from him._

"_HINATA! We're eleven years old for fuck's sake! We should be enjoying what little childhood we have left instead of trying to have sex." He yelled out trying to reason with her._

"_I don't know if you've noticed Naruto but we're living in a world where kids are encouraged to take lives from as young as TWELVE years old! There's no such thing as a 'childhood' Naruto in our world!"_

"_And we're gonna let this world dictate our relationship then?" he frowned._

"_You know I don't mean that but…"_

"_So because we're gonna have to take lives, we might as well fuck right? Because taking lives automatically validates that dimension of our relationship right?"_

"_No! You know I don't think like that Naru." Hinata looked down. Naruto sighed and reached for her chin so he could see her watery eyes. She couldn't bear having Naruto upset with just because she was so….wayward._

_Yea. Let's go with that word._

"_Hinata listen to me. This world that we live in is fucked up. I don't want to live by the rules this world has set for us. I want to change it for us to live in rather than let it change us. Let just enjoy the moment."_

_He reached down and seized her lips in a searing kiss. He languidly moved his lips with no apparent rush as she reciprocated his passion with her own. He took the initiative on this occasion as his tongue reached passed her already open mouth and began duelling with her own. She put her everything into this kiss as to show him her love and eagerness to please him. Their bodies moved in complete sync and as he grabbed her at the hips, she could feel his claws gliding gently her skin. She sighed into his mouth._

'_So much power in those hands….I just feel so protected in them…' _

_Her eyes fluttered as he released her. Her lips tingled. Her body was hot. She knew Naruto could smell her readiness for him as he smiled licking his lips._

"_My my Hime. So eager…" he pecked her lips and buried his face in her long silken locks "Don't worry. We'll get there one day. OUR way. This I promise you and you know I always keep my promises."_

_She smiled and moved to sit in his lap where she felt HIS readiness for her "I won't take your word for it."_

_Naruto blushed magenta as she wiggled her hips._

"_Because your body is MUCH more honest."_

_**Flashback end…**_

She was not upset because her advances were denied. But rather because he had somehow manage to change the subject entirely from the Uchiha. She didn't want him doing anything for that smug bastard but with a few words and a kiss her mind was gobbledegook. It was scary to think that he could manipulate her so easily.

'Not that I minded all that much.' 

She just didn't think Sasuke deserved Naruto's friendship but Naruto was just so incredibly trusting and innocent that he couldn't see the bad in people. He trusted so easily that he couldn't see Sasuke for what he was. A power-hungry avenger who would sacrifice anyone for his goals. And she would be damned if she allowed Naruto to be manipulated for Sasuke ambitions. She had known Naruto for long enough to know that once he trusted someone, he trusted hard. Too hard to see their faults.

Or maybe she just loved him too hard to trust anyone around him?

She was more comfortable believing the original premise.

That aside, she resolved to detach Sasuke from their social group. Naruto was better off without him. Sasuke was too stuck in his ways to deserve her Naruto. As she snuggled into his shirt, one thought flashed across her mind before she fell asleep.

'I just hope he doesn't wait too long until I finally get any. It's like he's like a monk without a sex drive…'

Oh if she only knew…

_**At the Uchiha Compound…**_

Sasuke sat at his kitchen table alone with a bottle of soda. He wanted sake but the council had banned all forms of alcohol from their "Uchiha Prince" in fear that it would handicap his potential. Ironically, he had been offered to drink with a few council members' families and daughters. He refused of course not trusting anything from those harpies.

He was "drinking" away his sorrows because of what Naruto's groupie had told him. Well, that was how he interpreted Hinata's obsession with him. He was angry because she loved him so much. He was angry because he didn't have anyone like that. But most of all, he was pissed because of what she had said to him.

_Please Uchiha I've heard your story a million times and quite frankly I'm not impressed._

'How dare she judge me? As if she knows me!'

_He forgives people who treat him like shit! He takes it all in and slaps on a smile so that everyone around him won't worry!_

'How does she know my best friend so well? She thinks she knows him better than me? That's a laugh.'

_Some "brother" you are. _

The last comment affected him the most. Mainly because he didn't know if it was true or not. From a very young age, Sasuke had always had difficulty forming friendships with other kids his age. Usually, he just never knew if people were after his wealth or status rather than him as a human being and his "superiority" over other was always beaten into him by his father only for it to be beaten out of him by his mother. Yet, it was always his father's approval that he always sought to gain. And so, he had always been the snobbish loner sticking to himself because he believed that friendship was overrated. This insecurity only multiplied when he began to fade into his brother's enormous prodigious shadow. Secretly, he hid an ever present loneliness that couldn't be filled even by his "loving" brother.

Naruto had been his true first friend to recognise him as a human being rather than a meal ticket, even though the orphan always needed one. Naruto was just too damned proud and stubborn. They were complete opposites in life but they had somehow gain common ground. Naruto helped him stand on his own two feet. Naruto dislodged the stick in his ass. But most importantly, Naruto helped him to enjoy life without the chains that bothered him with everyday life. Things like his constant efforts for his father's attention, his brother's endless skill and the pressures of being clan heir just melted away when they hung out. Some of the few rare smiles he had ever seen on Itachi's face were when they hung out with Naruto. The jinchuriki just had the ability to bring out the best in people and to say he was eternally grateful would be an understatement.

Not that he'd ever let Naruto know…

But out of their friendship, another insecurity emerged. He'd often find himself wondering if he was giving as good as he was getting. Was he showing Naruto the same courtesies that Naruto showed him? He never knew because Naruto was his FIRST friend so he had no experience with these things. Added to that fact was that Naruto never told him when he wasn't reciprocating their friendship. Naruto would always tell him when he was being a dick or an ass but never when he wasn't being fair. He had always thought that Naruto simply didn't have any qualms about it.

_He takes it all in and slaps on a smile so that everyone around him won't worry! But when he's by himself…_

'Was Naruto really hiding all his indiscretions about me?'

Over four years of friendship and he wasn't able to differentiate a real smile from a fake. This bothered him profusely. And it bothered him more to know that the Hyuga was able to know these things about HIS friend. He had always felt like him and Itachi were being watched and now he knew by whom.

The Love-struck Heiress.

Now, Sasuke didn't particularly hate Hinata. From their "discussion", he could tell she understood what pain was but when she had brought to the forefront that the person in their group who understood true pain most was none other than the bumbling care-free blonde known as Naruto, he was a bit sceptical.

Sure, he had always known that Naruto's life was hard. He had asked Itachi to let him stay them so many times it wasn't even funny. But Itachi had always told him that "Naruto must walk his own path." Sasuke had always felt that Itachi was hiding something but he could never figure out what. But then again, his brother had always spoken in riddles and innuendos. Like a walking fortune cookie.

It was times like this when he missed Itachi the most. It was funny that even though he always hated his brother for his skills when he was around that he could now only remember the good things about him now that he was gone. Which was why he was so pissed at what he did to their family. 'Why did he do it?'

He only wished he know what happened on that night….

He finished off his soda and got up turning off the light and heading for his bedroom. He had always loved his mother dearly for her wisdom. It was one of the things he'd loved most about her. Her ability to solve problems with a kind smile and open ear was what he believed made her a match for his headstrong father. But as he lay down on his exotic silk sheets, he could only remember one of her sayings.

"_What dwells in the darkness will eventually enter the light but be warned. It won't always be what you wanted it to be…"_

He contemplated on this for a few seconds before submitting himself to slumber.

_**At the Namikaze-Uzumaki estate's living room….**_

Naruto now sat in a spare bedroom with his unconscious captive on the bed next to him and his friend and brother of sorts seated on the floor in front of him. He was finishing up his admittedly unbelievable story to Lee when his captive began to stir.

"….and I had to bring her troublesome little ass all the way back here."

"Yosh! That's very noble of you Naruto! You risked your life to save someone who most likely wishes to kill you."

"Okay. When you say it like that, I sound stupid."

"I am bound by my allegiance to you not to point that out but I am glad you came to that conclusion by yourself."

"Damn you, Lee."

Karin awoke to these sounds feeling nothing out of place except for a few twinges of pain in her lower neck. From the extravagant ceiling designs and the quality of the bed she was laying in, she knew that this wasn't the average containment cell. Deciding to keep her awareness a secret, she recollected what happened during the moments before her capture. She remembered seeing a few jutsu off of the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing. Squinting her eyes, she went through the ones she had seen before remembering the two that had terrified her long enough for her capture to be possible.

'Now I remember! The Fushi Tensei and the Edo Tensei! Jutsu capable of immortality and resurrections respectively at the cost of human lives! I can't believe Orochimaru-sama actually created such a monstrosity! Even sciences has its lim-'

"Hey, are you gonna get up yet?! I heard when your breathing patterns changed a moment ago and I think we have to talk." A voice alerted her.

Her entire body went stiff. 'How is any person capable of sensing something as subtle as breathing rhythm?! His hearing must be time x10 or something!'

"Yea. My ears are that good." The voice almost boasted as if sensing her disbelief. She didn't have to open her eyes to know he was smiling.

"But seriously, we need to talk. I took a great risk saving you from my village's ANBU and I would like us to figure out when we go from here."

'They must want to rape me as compensation! I don't think so!'

Quickly, Karin rolled off the bed landing clumsily on the floor before reaching for a kunai from the pocket on her thigh "If you think you g-gonna…"

She trailed off as she saw the two individuals standing before her that made her previous fear of rape seem not too unpleasant.

The first one was a 5 ft 3 inches blonde haired Atlas-like creature with long spiky locks that shone brightly in the well-lighted room and hung well over onto his face. He had beautiful fuchsia eyes with slits for pupils that gave her nothing of what he was feeling and well-structured jawline with three stripes on each cheek that gave him an animalistic appeal. His body was lithe yet strongly rigid proving that it was made for an even balance of strength, speed and agility. He also had wicked looking claws.

The second one attracted her eyes a little more though. Though he was an inch or so shorter, he had very nice short black hair that was similarly spiky as it hung slightly over his forehead. He had bewitching red eyes with slits as well were currently raised in thorough amusement and glee. They mystified her as she knew not what made him so happy. He had an Adonis-like body with broad and tapered shoulders showing his slight inclination to strength than speed. He too had sharp claws with a ruggedly feral sex appeal.

All in all, these two were the sexiest men she had ever seen in her life.

'And that includes Orochimaru-sama!'

Forcing her sharp mind to resume function, she glared at her 'aggressors' "What the hell to you to want with me?"

Naruto spoke first "I just want to talk. Now if we could just go downstai-"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Although she had not mastered this particular jutsu to the extent that it could be used in battle, she flipped through a quick few hand-signs and gave it a shot anyway "**Chakura no Mesu! **(Chakra Scalpels!)"

.

.

.

Nothing happened.

"That was anti-climactic." The dark haired one spoke disappointedly causing her to blush in embarrassment.

"Okay. Where's the seal?!" Karin started to inspect her body.

"There is no seal. Not on you anyway." The blonde reasoned.

"T-Then how did you seal my chakra?" Karin stuttered out.

"The answer is simple" the blonde proceeded to explain "You see my home is very special. Everywhere on my compound, with the exception of my dojo and backyard, is banned from all chakra usage. The only person's chakra allowed to flow outside of these zones is my own. Therefore, there is no need for chakra suppressing seals when my house itself serves as one."

Karin eyes widened. She never knew that fuinjutsu was so superb. Everytime she saw one, she would find herself engrossed in the arrays and how each functioned in the seal's formula. She had always wanted to learn the art but simply never had the time. 'For a house to seal off one chakra….the practicality of such a seal would be limitless! These guys are definitely experienced.'

"W-well I still have my kunai."

"Real nice, red head. A kunai against two individuals you have no chance of defeating. And I thought you looked kinda smart." The purple eyed teen jibed.

"Don't call me that! And I am smart!" Karin fumed indignantly.

"Naruto, if I may?" the black haired cutie inquired.

"The floor is yours Lee." The person now identified as Naruto sighed running a hand through his hair.

The Lee guy took a step forward and the girl took a step back with a terrified expression on her otherwise attractive face "Please don't rape me?! I'll give you guys anything you want so please don't take my virginity!"

There was silence for a moment before it was broken by Naruto's raucous laughter.

"Hahaha you think hohoho that I hehe would want to have sex with you?" Naruto mirthfully inquired between his fits of laughter.

Somehow, Karin found herself bristled by his blatant and rather tactless dismissal of her body "And what's so wrong with me?! You should be honoured to even ask me for the opportunity!"

"Why would I want to HAHA have sex with you HOHO unwillingly" he paused laughing still and gestured to her less than average bust line "When I can have sex with my girlfriend hehe who was a little bit TOO willing to have me a couple of hours ago? It's so funny because there's completely NO COMPARISON!"

At this point, Naruto was rolling on the floor holding his stomach in sweet agony while choking on murmurings about his spleen.

"Stop laughing at me!" she stomped her feet.

"You have to excuse my friend. His youthfulness can be a bit offensive at times." Lee smiled bashfully.

"Why don't the two of you just let me go?! Haven't you embarrassed me enough?!" Karin yelled close to tears.

Naruto, accepting that it had gone too far, quelled his laughter and stood back up on unsteady legs.

Lee looked pointedly at him "Don't you have something to say?"

They looked at each other for a while before Naruto relented.

"I'msorryforlaughingatyouandforcallingyouinferiort omygirlfriendeventhoughyouare." Naruto rambled out quickly.

"Now properly." Lee crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry for laughing at you and for implying you were unworthy of me raping you. I guess I would rape if you wanted to and Hinata was on her cycle or something cuz you're pretty and stuff. Geez whatever!" Naruto finished with a pout.

"Good." Lee approved before turning to "Do you accept his apology?"

Karin just stood there with a terrified and confused expression on her face before screeching "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!"

Both boys immediately grabbed their ears in pain with Naruto sinking to the floor in agony "What's the hell is wrong with YOU?! Screaming like that! We have very sensitive ears, you idiot!"

"Please do not repeat such an action! It would be most unyouthful and painful if you do." Lee pleaded.

Karin realised that this could be a trump card and filed it away for later. For some weird reason, hurting Lee made her feel unpleasant with herself.

Lee was the first to recover "C-can we please just g-go downstairs? I promise you that your youthful purity will stay intact."

Looking into Lee's crimson eyes, she saw mind boggling sincerity which wasn't something you found in ninjas nowadays. She blushed and looked away.

"O-Okay b-but if you two try anything, I'll scream again!" she said looking back for confirmation.

Both boys flinched and nodded. Feeling satisfied, she left the room. Naruto was helped to his feet by Lee before hearing Kurama's chuckling.

"'**She's** **a human being!' he said….'I won't let her get hurt' he said!" **Kurama mocked **"If you didn't already have a girlfriend, I would have sworn you were pussy whipped."**

'It's damn near frightening how quickly you pick up on human terminology and slangs. You're an ancient embodiment of malice and hate in the form of fox. Act like it. And by the way, I'm NOT pussy whipped. I just have too much compassion.'

He growled as he watched her retreating back.

'Too much fucking compassion….'

_**In the Kitchen….**_

All three of them sat around the kitchen table looking at each other no one saying a word but each for different reasons.

Karin, because she was biding her time until she could make her escape.

Naruto, because he was hoping that she would just start talking already.

Lee, because…well Lee was just eagerly waiting for something to happen. Anything.

Naruto, growing tired of the fucked up day that had been so graciously bestowed upon him, dove straight in.

"So I can guess that you won't be willing to say anything about why you were in the Tower in the first place?"

"Right after you explain why you were there as well. Last time I checked, ninjas aren't supposed to be stealing scrolls of their village." Karin stated.

"I stole it for a friend."

"So you do have the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing?" Karin eyes lighted up.

"No, the other one."

"But the other one is the Uchiha's clan scroll."

"Correct."

"So you stole it for your friend, Uchiha Itachi then?" Karin gulped now unsure she could escape alive.

"Yes and no." Naruto shrugged.

"Well. Which is it?" she impatiently inquired.

"Itachi is my friend….of sorts but the scroll wasn't for him."

Karin was now confused. The only person who was capable of putting a clan scroll to good use was a clan member. Sure the Uchiha scroll would most likely have a couple generic fire jutsu and taijutsu katas that others could use but only one of Uchiha blood could put the scroll to best use. But all the Uchihas had been massacred three years ago. Orochimaru had closely followed up on the event in hopes of the Sharingan being lost. Unless…

"Oh. I see. Your friend is Sasuke Uchiha, am I right?" Karin smiled.

"How do you know Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Because my master has big plans for him. He will serve him nicely in the future." Karin jibed hoping to get a response out of the admittedly handsome teen.

Well, she got her wish.

One moment he was sitting there growling, the next he had flown across the table claws reaching for her slender neck. In her stupor, she became aware that the only thing holding him back from her certain death was Lee.

"Naruto! You must calm down!" Lee strained out as he tried his hardest to hold back the beast that was his new brother "You mustn't abuse members of the opposite sex! It's most unyouthful!"

"If you ever even talk to Sasuke, **I'LL SLIT YOUR FUCKING THROAT! YOU HEAR ME?!**" Naruto voice had changed with his claws becoming a darker, more menacing hue as if showing her his intentions.

Karin was close to falling out her chair due to the massive amounts of killing intent that Naruto was emitting. She had never expected him to be so violent. Insensitive but not so violent. The energy he was emitting was sinister more so than that of Orochimaru. She had never been more terrified in her entire life.

Naruto then stopped struggling as leaned back allowing Lee to pull him off the table. He stood up running a hand through his unruly locks in exhaustion.

"Kurama was right." Karin just barely registered "I should have killed you back at the Tower."

He then turned to Lee "You stopped me from taking her life. Will you stop me again?"

Lee, against every fibre of his being, nodded. His unnatural desire to serve Naruto clashed directly against his sense of chivalry with his chivalry just barely winning "Y-Yes."

"Fine. As of this moment, her life is your responsibility. I'm going to bed." Without a second glance in their direction, Naruto left the room.

The room was silent in his wake before Karin whispered terrified.

"What the hell is he? All I did was talk about the Uchiha."

Lee, hearing her, responded still looking in the direction Naruto left "No, you talked about his friend."

"And?" Karin inquired.

"Naruto is fiercely protective of his friends. He'll kill, lie and steal for them because he has so few. Quite frankly, if push comes to shove, I'll do the same."

He turned to her and their eyes met "Naruto saved you in the Tower. He doesn't expect anything much from you but for you to respect him and what he stands for. He could have easily killed you or left you for interrogation but he didn't because of his sense of honour. Don't make him regret his decision."

Karin's eyes widened as she whispered "I-I'm sorry."

Lee continued as if he didn't hear her "Come on. I'll show you to your room."

She got up and followed him out of the room on unsteady legs.

"By the way" Lee turned to her as they reached the staircase "What's your name?"

Karin, feeling a bit more secure than she had expected, answered "Karin."

After he nodded and gave the brightest of smiles, they both climbed the stairs in silence.

_**In the study…**_

Even though he had said he was going to bed, Naruto still had some things to sort through. Firstly, he knew that his family had a small fortune but he just couldn't get to it since it was most likely in Konoha's bank in a frozen but interest laden account. He also knew that there was supposed to be some money in the house for accessibility and he figured he had to start somewhere. Added to this were his findings from the Hokage Tower that he needed to assess. Needless to say, he wasn't going to be getting much sleep tonight.

"**Oh please! Stop being such a baby! You could stay up for another 48 hours easy."**

'Sure I can. My body isn't the issue. It's my mind. I'm mentally exhausted!'

"**Yea well you have situational tactics training tonight."**

'Aw come on! I'm exhausted!'

"**Well it can't be put off anymore. You need to balance your body's development with your mind. Last time, a couple of fangirls interrupted us but now we have time and I intend to fully utilise it."**

'Hai sensei.' Naruto mentally sobbed.

Lifting his hands in his signature seal, he created five clones and sent them to inspect room while he himself walked to his desk and leaned into his luxurious leather chair sighing as he did.

"Oh yeah. That's my baby."

"_**That's what she said."**_

'Shut up!'

"Found it!" One of his clones yelled making him inviting him to investigate. He walked to the row of books where the clone was and found nothing.

"What the big idea? There's nothing here." Naruto grumbled.

"That's what I thought at first doofus but I saw-well we saw-this movie with these four kids and a talking dog and-"

"I know the movie so get to the point." Naruto drawled out.

"Watch this!" the clone then pulled a book on the fifth row and a square piece of the wall behind the bookcase disappeared to reveal a well sized safe.

"Good work!" Naruto beamed dispelling his other clones 'Must be a special genjutsu that only deactivates when this particular book moves. How clever.'

He walked to the safe and rubbed his chin "Why is there a tumbler?"

He saw that there was a 7 digit pass code and the expected blood and chakra seal. He had gotten pretty good with codes as he had broken into a lot of secured establishments to either orchestrate some of his greatest pranks or to simply steal enough of the necessities he needed to exist.

'A 7 digit numerical code containing the wealth of two dying clans….the code probably has meaning to both mom and dad….probably has an alphabetical base of some sort….'

Naruto then bit his thumb on his left hand and smeared it on the seal before typing in the following numbers with his right:

21, 25, 21, 15, 1, 14, 9.

The vault opened revealing a VERY substantial amount of yen with Naruto smiling to himself.

Kurama and Arashi had their mouths agape in utter shock. They couldn't believe what they had just seen. Naruto had just cracked a code that neither had any clue of a possible answer. It was incomprehensible.

"**H-How did you crack that?" **Kurama inquired still not believing his eyes.

'I knew that the code had to have an alphabetical base, as most do, and a significant amount of meaning to them both. You know, like an emblem of their unity and love for one another so I figured that the first two syllables of the last names, Uzu and Nami or the other way around, converted in accordance to the letters' numerical places in the alphabet would give me my answer. Quite simple actually.'

Kurama put it together in his head still not believing:

U-21 Z-25 U-21 N-15 A-1 M-14 I-9

'**Whoa! I never knew his mind was this analytical! His mental training should definitely bear fruit.'**

Naruto reached inside the vault and marvel at the money inside. It was by far more than he had even seen in his life.

'About 9 maybe 10 million yen! And to think that this is only pocket change! All the actual money is in the bank so if I gather the money allowance that the monkey gives me and use a Henge to purchase my goods, I'll be sitting pretty for the next few years easy.'

Taking out a small bit and putting it inside his trusty Gama-chan, he closed the vault and went back to his desk. He sighed and took out a scroll from his pocket. It was the scroll that his other clone had fetched for him in the Tower. He had been trying to delay reading it for as long as possible fearing the information it might hold.

No, what it WOULD hold.

Taking a steady breath, he opened it and began reading…

_**The next morning…**_

Lee dived out of his bed as he did every morning and proceeded to do his morning pull ups on the door frame. It was something that Gai had instructed him to do every morning because it instantly depleted grogginess and got the endorphins going.

So far he'd had no complaints.

He reviewed the previous night and all the things that had happened. Naruto definitely wasn't in the best of moods last night. But Naruto had always been one to expect reciprocation of happiness once he had shown it himself. However, as Lee had expected, Karin was not one to show kindness. Period. Thus leading to their breakdown in communication.

She was a hard rock, Lee had known somehow from the moment he'd met her. She had experienced adversity and it had made her untrusting of anyone besides her master. Said master had probably found her in a very vulnerable state at a young age causing her to form a dependency upon him/her.

'But I guess most people would. Human beings are social creatures who attach themselves to others in the attempt to create bonds and will do anything to please the person who gave them a purpose…'

But, in the end, it was all posturing. Such assumptions were baseless without more information which he intended to find out.

'If anyone ever heard me thinking like this, they would blow a gasket.' He chuckled to himself before slapping on his brightest smile and assuming the persona he was known for. Briskly walking out the room, he bumped into someone.

Correcting himself, he looked closely at who it was and took a step back. It was Naruto but something was completely different. Everything about him was devoid of life. His posture was slouched and disinterested, he looked a bit pale and his eyes were the worst it had ever been. They were dark and weary and even worse was that it looked like he had been crying.

'No, that can't be right. Naruto NEVER cries! But I have to make sure.'

"Naruto, are you okay?" Lee inquired.

"Yes." Naruto replied succinctly.

"But you do-" Lee began before being interrupted.

"I'm fine." Naruto snapped ending the conversation before heading downstairs. Lee stared in his direction for a while before following. As he walked down the staircase, he smelled something delicious that made his mouth water.

When they reached the dining room next to the kitchen, they were greeted with the most peculiar sight. A full traditional breakfast spread complete with large amounts of rice, curry and orange slices to represent yearlong prosperity along with other fine dishes. Lee sat down followed by Naruto before they were greeted by Karin.

"Hi guys! How do you like the food?" she beamed.

"It looks delicious! I can't wait!" Lee said hiding his disappointment. He knew that there was something wrong with the food but attempted to keep up his ignorance "Naruto, what do you think?"

Surprisingly, Naruto simply dug in and began eating for a few seconds before stopping and frowning.

When Lee saw the expectancy in her gaze, he knew that his fears had been confirmed. He looked at Naruto, slightly panicked looking for any reaction whatsoever. He thought that his friend had died sitting up when Naruto chuckled mirthlessly.

"Poison" he murmured glancing at her before turning back to his food "Cute."

Karin eyes widened in shock telling Lee all he needed to know "Karin, why did you-"

"You're lucky though." Naruto lifted his head to look her right in the eyes "Because if Lee had eaten any of it, especially since he doesn't have my complete immunity, I would have beheaded you."

Karin took a step back but was not fast enough as Naruto disappeared only to reappear on the other side of the room with his left hand around her throat. He lifted her off her feet and applied just enough pressure to make her squirm. Lee got up and made his way to her aide before Naruto stopped him.

"Stay right there! We tried things your way!" Naruto yelled now thoroughly pissed "Now we're gonna try things my way."

He turned back to her with his eyes spelling hate causing her to whimper "I save your life, I admit you into my home against my better judgement and you try to kill me….my sensei told me to kill you but I didn't because you reminded me of someone but, as of right now, I've grown tired of your existence."

His cheek markings became more ragged and his fangs began to lengthen. The sclera of his eyes began to fade to black as his slitted pupils began to lengthen nearly breaking the barrier of his iris. This transformation utterly terrified both Karin and Lee as the most malevolent killing intent they'd ever felt bared down on them.

"**So here's what I'm gonna do since I'm REALLY not in a good mood…"**

He applied even more pressure cause her to gasp and choke as she begged for breath. Her hands scratched and clawed at his forearm begging to be released as her legs kicked but to no avail. Naruto's strength was too much for her. Lee could see the light fading from her eyes.

"Naruto! Please stop! You're killing Karin!" Lee begged.

He continued for a few seconds before the muscles in his arm finally relaxed releasing her making her fall to the floor sucking in gulps of air. She looked up at him and, as Naruto turned his back to face her, Lee could see the regret in his eyes. His sinister features had now disappeared as if they were never there.

"Get out of my house." Naruto mumbled now resuming his previous emotionless façade.

"W-Wha…?" Karin gasped still trying to catch her breath.

"You want to go report to your master? You don't want to be here? Fine. Get out of my house and don't you dare come back. I hope the ANBU don't find you as village security is supposed to be extra-sensitive because of what happened last night…" Naruto said emotionlessly walking away.

"But-" she was obviously conflicted as Naruto interrupted her.

"This is what you wanted right? I want you out of my place otherwise I can't guarantee my grip will be as forgiving next time."

"Wait I-"

"Listen, the only reason you're still alive is because of Lee. Cling to your pathetic life and leave my home. You clearly don't want anything to do with us so I'm doing you a favour."

She just sat there shocked and scared. She looked at Lee to see him looking back at her with an unreadable expression. Lee could see she was alone and desperate for him to say something. Her eyes began to look down at her lap as tears began to fall. She felt horrible.

"I-I'm so s-sorry. Please! Let me stay. I have nowhere to go…" she pleaded to him.

"Stop lying! You have a master to return to. You just don't want to get caught. Even now you only want to save your own skin from the ANBU…" Naruto growled in contempt.

"N-No! There's nothing left for me there! I just want to stay with you two! Please…" her voice broke as her sobs went out to Lee.

Lee finally spoke up after a while "Then why did you try to kill us?"

Karin flinched when she heard the disappointment in his voice. That was the last thing she wanted. She honestly didn't know why she poisoned them. She had just thought that if she hadn't killed them that they didn't would have killed her eventually but as she thought more on it she realised that they just weren't the way she had thought them to be. Also, she knew what happened to those who came back unsuccessfully from missions as important as hers.

'Added to the fact that he wanted to complete those abominations he called ninjutsu. I can't believe that he wished to do such a horrible thing!'

All she knew was that she wanted somewhere to belong where she didn't have to sacrifice her morals for a "greater purpose" and, as she looked across at the two boys before her, she knew that she could somehow find such an existence with them. She was extremely thankful for Orochimaru's guidance but she just didn't think she could do another abduction mission. She wanted to be with these two for as long as possible before Orochimaru sent someone after her. She also knew that if she was going to reason to anyone, it would have to be Lee. He was more lenient with her than his leader was.

"I-I don't know…I just did it because I didn't know if you wanted to kill me. I was scared…"

"So you kill people when you're scared?" Lee tried to understand.

Naruto, on the other hand, had reached his limit "Listen, if you don't say something sincere and valid in the next 10 seconds, I'll throw you out of here immediately! I'm tired of you speaking in fucking riddles! SAY SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE!"

She knew she was running out of time so she wiped her face with the back of her hand and stood up.

"I don't know how to behave around people I don't know…" she began cautiously.

"Neither do we but we didn't try to kill you." Naruto growled.

She realised that she had to go back to the beginning so she gestured for them to have a seat at the table and she joined them there. She looked at Lee who gave her the smallest of smiles as a signal to begin.

"I….I grew up alone in Kirigakure as an orphan. Kiri was at the time, and probably still is, in the middle of a war on bloodline holders."

"Why would they declare war on their own ninja and civilians?" Lee asked.

"I honestly don't know how it began. Some say out of jealousy, some say because their powers made them freaks…All I know is that there was a growing stigma and the Mizukage did nothing stop it. In fact, he soon began to campaign against them himself."

"That's pretty sick." Naruto grunted making Karin nod before continuing.

"In time, bloodline families began to disappear under the rouse of "interrogation" never to be seen again. Ninjas who once treasured their gifts were forced to hide them and for those who couldn't hide their power swere constant under attack by their colleagues and civilians alike. Many became missing ninja causing the all too happy Mizukage to create his specialised hunter nin corps to begin their extermination."

"Where were you in all of this?" Lee whispered disgusted at her story.

"I was just a kid. An observant, intelligent kid but a kid nonetheless. At the time, I began to realise that I was one of the "gifted". One day, my red hair would just start glowing for no reason and begin to emit these tendrils of strange chakra. In addition, I healed quickly, had extremely large chakra reserves and had overwhelming stamina."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in concentration and whispered to himself "That's a strangely familiar bloodline…"

"**Wait for it….It'll come to you eventually…" **Kurama mocked as if talking to a child.

.

.

.

"YOU'RE AN UZUMAKI?!" Naruto exclaimed incredulously startling Lee and Karin.

"**Ding-a-ling ling. Give this man a prize." **Kurama drawled.

"A what?" Karin's eyes widened.

"Follow me!" Naruto yelled before sprinting up the stairs. He couldn't believe it. A real life Uzumaki in the flesh.

"**And to think that you would have killed her and not know who she was if it wasn't for me."**

'She would have died all the way back in the Tower if it wasn't for me.'

He was met with silence. He then focused his attention on finding the one full proof way of knowing if she was one of them. He ran behind his desk, bit his finger and smeared it on the drawer with the signature Uzumaki spiral on it. The drawer then opened to reveal a cylindrical canister holding a large dark red scroll with a black spiral on it.

He turned around to see Lee and Karin entering the room. He lifted the scroll and carried it over to them with a small smile. Karin looked at the scroll and then at him obviously puzzled.

"Isn't that a Clan Scroll?"

Naruto just nodded and began "I don't believe I've properly introduced myself. My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, son of the Red Death Kenjutsu Master Kushina Uzumaki and the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze as well as the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox."

By the end of his introduction, Karin eyes were bulging out of their sockets in blatant disbelief "N-No w-way!"

Naruto then pointed to something above the door frame behind her. Following his hand, her eyes widened even more, if such a thing were possible, at the picture that hung there.

It was a large picture of Konoha's Forth Hokage in his Kage robes grinning. There was no way someone would have a picture this big and this authentic hanging in their house. This, together with the scroll in Naruto's hand provided all the proof in the world.

"S-so this i-is their house?"

He nodded.

"A-and you're their son?"

He nodded again.

"B-but h-how? There were no reports of them having a child."

"My father and mother had great enemies in Iwa and Kumo respectively. If you were them, would you be screaming to everyone about having a child with there being possible spies in the village?"

'Wait a minute….In my mom's diary, she said that my father did just that!'

"**She probably exaggerated about it to make you feel especially loved. She knew that she wouldn't be there to tell you these things herself so she must have told you all that stuff to console you when in actuality she didn't tell anyone in the fear that information may leak."**

'I see. Well that wasn't entirely necessary. I kinda already knew I was loved…'

He was pulled from his musings when Karin spoke.

"Well that makes sense….But wait a sec…..I know why Iwa was after the Yondaime but why was Kumo after his wife?"

"From what my sensei told me, Kumo was the one who campaigned for war against her village with their allies Kiri and Iwa completely destroying it all because Uzu refused a crooked alliance from them. Anyway, her clan village was our ancestral home and the birthplace of fuinjutsu known as Uzushiogakure. She was one of the refugees and the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi at the time."

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down for a second. You're throwing way too many facts at me at one time. Our?" Karin exclaimed.

"Yes 'our' and this scroll is going to prove it. It only opens to those of Uzumaki blood."

Karin couldn't believe it. Her whole life she had thought that she was alone in the world. Now, some Kage heir that looked nothing like her was telling her she was the last of a village clan that she had barely heard of in all her years of study under Orochimaru and was possibly a distant relative of him. She was ecstatic at the chance of belonging to a family but she was horrified about trying to kill one of the remaining members. She tried to apologize but Naruto stopped her.

"I don't care for apologetic words. Only apologetic actions. Swipe your blood here and we'll see where we go from here."

She took out a kunai, cut her thumb and wiped it on the seal at the front of the scroll.

.

.

Sizzle Sizzle Sizzle…

POP!

And it opened. All three teens stared at it for a moment before Lee yelled out an exuberant "Yosh!". Both Naruto and Karin looked at the scroll still shocked. When their eyes finally met, they couldn't even form words for a moment. Karin finally mumbled out something.

"So we're cousins or something, right?…"

"Y-yea I guess…" Naruto replied nervously.

"I….I should probably go…I don't want to be a burden…" she looked away.

"I sense that you're scared of something…is it the person who sent you on this mission?" Naruto inquired.

"Yes…H-he doesn't tolerate failure. He'll most likely send someone after me…" she whispered. The fear in her eyes was evident that this person was seriously strong.

"Who is he?" Lee placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"He's one of the three Legendary Sannin…S-ranked Missing Nin of Konoha…The White Snake…Orochimaru-sa-…Orochimaru." She trembled. She turned to Naruto and Lee fully expecting them to be as scared as she was but all she saw were their head tilted to the side in confusion.

"Who?" they questioned simultaneously.

"DON'T YOU GUYS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR VILLAGE'S HISTORY?!" she yelled subconsciously using the supposedly intimidating Big Head no Jutsu.

Naruto just grinned in blissful ignorance "Whatever! We'll just kick his ass anyway. No one threatens an Uzumaki and gets away with it!"

Lee just flexed his impressive biceps "Most definitely! We shall protect her at all costs."

Karin watched the spectacle in awe. She had never seen two idiots prepared to risk their lives for the safety of a stranger who had tried to kill them less than an hour ago. They seemed completely oblivious to who they had just declared war on. Yet, against herself, she smiled.

'They're just a couple of teenagers and yet they honestly believe that an S-rank Shinobi is within their reach. Even if one of them is the container of strongest tailed beast and heir to the arguably strongest Kage in the Elemental Nations.'

Naruto was an enigma. She knew that Jinchurikis were treated either like weapons or scapegoats.

Sometimes both.

Yet here he was. Happy and satisfied with his life. So much so that it was infectious. 'What's his secret?' she asked herself.

'How was he able to live life so carefree?'

Her whole life she had just been waiting for somewhere to belong. Although she was glad that Orochimaru saved her, she had always dreaded the missions she had been sent on. From Abductions to Espionage to Assassinations, she had felt herself sacrificing a piece of her soul to him. Her resolve would weaken to the point where she would find herself wishing that she failed. But now, right in front of her, was a new opportunity at life and a clean slate. She found herself wishing this to be real. She wanted to discover what made them so happy.

But she would have to be careful.

From the incident in the living room, she knew that when Naruto got pissed that he REALLY gets pissed. The energy she had felt coming off of him was so malevolent that his claim of being a Jinchuriki simply had to be true. With this power, he had the potential to be one of the greatest ninja the world had ever seen. He was also very friendly so much so that he was fiercely protective of his friends. She honestly believed that the only reason he attacked her was because she tried to kill Lee. Speaking of Lee, the teen seemed to be hiding something in his eyes that she was determined to figure out. Like most of her problems, it would be met with blunt decisiveness.

"Hey Lee, how old are you?" she smiled coyly.

"Twelve years old." He grinned boisterously.

She face faulted.

'That was rather….Unexpected.'

A/N: YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Okay! Favourite, Follow and review. Don't forget to answer my question and point out the CRITICAL problems of the story and stuff. Want to reach 100,000 by chapter 10 so wish me luck.

**Spoiler: The shit will hit the fan!**


	8. Chapter 8

_**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT**_

I've decided to fix/spruce up Chapters 1-4 (maybe 5 and 6 since they sort of need some work too but I promise not to fuck them up. Mainly spelling and grammar I swear.) in the hopes of generally improving the story so look out for them.

Well, here's the hopefully long awaited chapter 8! Sorry but my internet was on the frits for a LOOOONG time but it won't happen again. I wish you all will review more as I realize that I have a lot of favorites and followings (at least by my standards) but don't have nearly as much reviews though. And the ones that I did get are centered around my question. Thanks for answering that by the way. I'm not entirely sure if I'm gonna get one yet but I am sure that the story's doing relatively fine without one. Okay, I know the first four chapters sucked and were filled with inaccuracies and errors but, in my defense, I was still getting a feel for the story and was trying to put some realistic situations into it. Instead of correcting those chapters, I think I'm just gonna charge ahead taking into consideration all the things I've learned from other authors since coming on the site.

One thing that pisses me off in the stories I read is that some of them have songs and lyrics into the fic. I get the intended sentiment (background music) but it all goes to shit if you don't know the actual song because then you're just reading dumbass words without a rhythm in mind. I just don't get it. Another thing is that some other stories are stock filled with annoying A/N notes. I can understand a note every once in a while explaining things that aren't completely obvious and the occasional pun but when you have 5-10 notes in the story, it reaches a boiling point with me.

I've also began making a jutsu list from different sites for the upcoming chapters. I've also been making a few of my own on Google Translate for my soon-to-be Monster Trio of Naruto, Lee and Sasuke.

Yea, spoiler alert I guess.

Also, I want to thank Darius Frost and everyone else for their definitions and advice. To the reviewer who wants to see Danzo dead, I can't grant your wish JUST yet. Although the entire village is basically their enemy, Danzo is a villain I just can't get rid of…

Yet!

They're just not strong enough yet. But in time, you'll definitely have your wish granted. Anyway, this is gonna be an exciting chapter that I can assure you!

Kukukukuku! Let's get this show on the road!

I'm getting tired of typing this so this may be one of the last times you see it:

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"**Kurama talking"**

'**Kurama thinking'**

"_**Arashi talking"**_

'_**Arashi thinking'**_

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 8**

**Retreat**

**Disclaimer: This isn't mine and won't be mine until I achieve world domination and servitude.**

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, the revered Shinobi no Kami and proclaimed Professor of Konoha, was worried. Keep in mind that not much worried him. He had been present for all Three Ninja Wars and was the disciple of one of the village's founders but, as he sat in his assigned council chair at the top of the table and looked at the various Clan Heads and Civilian Council members, he was most worried. Not for himself as none of them posed a possible threat to him even in his advanced age.

But for his previous ward and estranged adopted grandson, Naruto Uzumaki.

In his short absence, the ever present thorn in his side and rival for his position, Shimura Danzo, had been campaigning against the boy. He had gained the attention of Civilian Council which was no surprise as they looked for every opportunity to crucify the boy. But for him to acquire the attention of the usually level-headed Shinobi Council, it had to be something serious. For what reason, he did not know and intended to find out immediately.

"Danzo, for what possible reason have you assembled us here today?" Hiruzen inquired.

"It shall be discussed when our weapon arrives Hiruzen." Danzo quipped.

The Shinobi Council held back their sighs at Danzo blatant show of disrespect while the Civilian Council smiled. They had grown much accustomed to this while more than a few of the Shinobi Council missed the astute and sharp tongued Sandaime they had once sworn allegiance to. Not the subservient husk left after years had had their way with him…

Boy, were they in for a surprise.

"First of all, my status on this council is Sandaime Hokage, Chief Advocate of village affairs and High General of Konoha's forces and you will address me as such! Secondly, Naruto Uzumaki is NOT a weapon. He is a human being with the all appropriate rights as any civilian to live a full life until he becomes a full-fledged Shinobi of Konoha! Now, you WILL tell me what this meeting is about and why I was summoned for it or, Kami help me, you will be hauled down to Ibiki's Torture and Interrogation Department under the charges of insubordination and blatant disrespect to your superior officer! Do. I. Make. My. Self. Clear?" Hiruzen roared all in one breathe.

There was silence as everyone sat there, mouths agape. Well, everyone with the exceptions of Hiashi Hyuga who maintained his ever present scowl and Shibi Aburame who just raised an eyebrow at the outburst. The Civilian Council were unsettled at both the proclamation and the traces of killing intent that came with it. They knew that things might change for the worse with this new found confidence and hoped that whatever happened in the last couple of days would not be permanent.

No one had ever heard the venerable Hokage speak with such ferocity since his wife died. He had always been so passive in the face of the council that he was often manipulated by the hands of the very one he had just spoken so impassionedly against. It was awe inspiring for some of the Clan Heads to see their leader, their _true leader_, taking back the reins.

'Way to go, Old Man!' Tsume smiled.

'Definitely NOT troublesome…' Shikaku smirked as he sat up, attentive for once.

'So he's finally back…' Inoichi chuckled shaking his head.

'About time…' Chouza grinned.

'Interesting….Most interesting….' Shibi mused.

'So the old monkey has finally grown a pair. I wonder how long this will last for…' Hiashi sneered and turned his attentions elsewhere.

Well, I did say some…

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, former teammates of the once meek Sarutobi, looked at each other worriedly. They knew without saying a word to each other that this could spell trouble for them in the future if this apparently new backbone were to stay.

Danzo was seething. He was unsettled to see that Hiruzen had gotten his spark back and humiliated at the moment it chose to make itself shown.

'No matter,' he growled inwardly 'I will play your game for now…'

"My sincerest apologies Hokage-sama and I can assure you I will not repeat that mistake." He spoke coolly resuming his neutral mask.

"Good. Now, explain to me why this meeting has been called and who gave you the authority to do so." Hiruzen replied without hesitation.

"It was called in the concerns that I hold about one Naruto Uzumaki and I believed that the severity of those concerns warranted my calling for this meeting. Though you say he is not a weapon, he still is a vital asset to village security and I am sure that the Council would like to hear about him."

The Shinobi Council, having long since forgotten about Naruto and his unique "condition", now had their curiosity peaked. They had barely heard of the boy in years with the exception of the elaborate pranks he was known to pull from time to time. The Civilian Council had seen him more regularly than anyone else and had been upset with his "changes" that made him a more desirable individual to members of the opposite sex.

"Why would you have such concerns?" Hiruzen inquired upset at Danzo's advances on the boy "Naruto is not under your guardianship and so he is not your responsibility in any way."

"I could say the same for you. Your so-called guardianship over the boy is blatant favoritism in the face of the countless orphans left in the wake of the Kyuubi attack. Also, would you please be so kind as to announce to the Council of Fire what your guardianship over Naruto entails and how you've been tending to these responsibilities you speak so highly of?" Danzo smirked menacingly.

Hiruzen knew of the trap he had walk so deeply into. He planned his words carefully.

"It is true that I have not tended to these responsibilities in a while but I believe it was you who campaigned for him to be placed in the orphanage against my wishes in the first place."

"I did indeed but I do not recall you being overly distressed when he had been placed there…"

"Well it was mostly be-"

"If I may interrupt Sarutobi-sama, I do indeed believe we should just bring the boy here and address whatever 'concerns' Danzo thought so urgently deserved our attentions." Hiashi interrupted respectfully but the impatience in his voice was as clear as day.

This seemed to end their discussion.

"Very well. Boa-" Hiruzen began.

"ANBU have already been sent to his classroom for his apprehension." Danzo interrupted.

"Apprehension? The boy is not a criminal Danzo." Hiruzen growled now knowing why Dragon was absent. 'He had gone to collect Naruto most likely because he couldn't get me at the time. Dammit!'

"So you say…"

Hiruzen sighed before sitting down. He knew that the only way to resolved this was with Naruto's presence. In his absence, he had had a lot of time to contemplate his life, his resolve and even to train a bit. But what he spent most of his time doing was investigating what happened to Naruto. He was wracked with guilt when he heard the things that the boy had done to survive all those years. His most loyal and decorated ANBU Dragon told him horrible things the boy went through and this made him feel the lowest of lows.

Eating out of garbage cans.

Pickpocketing.

Overpriced goods.

Poison attempts by civilians.

Brutal beatings several times a week.

Suicide attempts….

The last one saddened him the most. The heir of Konoha's greatest clans didn't deserve such a fate.

No one does.

Dragon told him that he had lost count of the number of times he tried to kill himself after the number reached the double digits. He knew the demon was responsible for saving his life on so many occasions. He was thankful to the Kyuubi for its selfishness for once.

'Naruto…..Kushina….Minato…..will you ever forgive me?'

_**At the Academy…**_

Usually, the Shinobi-hopefuls of Konoha would use the time before class to converse amongst themselves about their lives, aspirations, infatuations etcetera but at the moment there were quiet whispers fluttering through the classroom as almost all eyes were on the individual standing at the front.

The ever mysterious, ever bewitching Dragon.

It was incorporated enough into the Academy Curriculum for any and every one to know who he was. He was the Hokage's top shadow. The one ANBU who follow every order to the letter and had the most successful missions under his belt than any other operative. There were no records of his existence before entering the ANBU and he had risen in the ranks faster than anyone else. His infiltration abilities were so great that he was often referred to as a 'Konoha's Ghost' in the way he moved.

In the ANBU, the top three operatives in Konoha's history were Kakashi, Itachi and Dragon. The first two had reached ANBU captain levels earlier than anyone else but none of them had ever risen to the rank of ANBU Commander, an honor that previously belonged to the Hokage but had been given to Dragon personally after seeing his skills during te ANBU Examinations.

He was, in simple terms, the shit.

But two individuals in the classroom were not paying any attention to him whatsoever. Their minds were on another individual altogether.

'Naru-kun/Dobe….what the hell did you do this time?!'

Hinata was terrified. It didn't take much for her to figure out why they were here. Their sudden appearance had Naruto's sexy ass all over it. She wondered if they had found his estate or had discovered his bloodline. Whatever reason they were there, it definitely wasn't good. With Naruto, she had learned it never was.

Sasuke leaned against the door frame with his eyes closed. He knew Naruto was in trouble. Simply because he had awoken the night before and activated his Sharingan to see that all of his assigned ANBU were heading in the direction of the Hokage Tower. He knew that Naruto hadn't been caught simply because Naruto couldn't BE caught. His infiltration skills, while not on par with the ANBU in front of him, were nothing to scoff at.

He just hoped that Naruto didn't get into any trouble on his behalf.

Speaking of Naruto…

The Hybrid came barreling into the room while pulling on his black hoodie jacket. He wasn't panting but it was obvious that he was somewhat winded. He stood up straight and shook his hair free of moisture in the likeness of a dog with his blonde locks bounce hypnotically making his fellow female classmates swoon. Tossing his head back, he assumed the nice guy pose.

"Iruka-sensei, this time I'm still kinda….early?" he exclaimed boisterously before sensing the atmosphere.

"What's going on here teme?" Naruto spoke seriously already knowing Sasuke was behind him. Naruto's features steeled once he saw the ANBU.

"I was hoping you'd tell me dobe. They're here for you." Sasuke whispered so lowly that only he could here. Naruto was a bit shocked to hear the smallest bit of concern in his voice.

"Naruto Uzumaki I presume?" Dragon turned to him.

"You know exactly who I am so skip the small talk Dragon…" Naruto quipped.

Everyone gasped. Naruto was referring to the strongest ANBU with such familiarity and disrespect as if they were old friends.

Or enemies…

"Very well" Dragon droned out before walking behind him "Naruto Uzumaki, you are under arrest and to be brought to the Council of Fire where you will address any suspicions they will so request."

He grabbed Naruto's hands a little roughly and placed a pair of chakra cuffs on his wrists.

"I see…" Naruto spoke lowly as he turned to the doorway. There was a big smile on his face as if there was nothing to worry about. He smiled until he locked eyes with Hinata. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod of assurance.

'_I'll be okay Hime…'_

She bit her lip and nodded back with hesitance.

'_Please be safe Naru-kun…'_

He turned his back to her and walked out.

The room was absolutely silent as Naruto was escorted outside. They knew exactly what happened to people who were brought before the Council of Fire. They were either banished or put to death. Though a lot of them had their qualms with him, they still didn't believe that Naruto deserved such a fate.

Hinata was close to tears. She couldn't believe she was about to lose him after she had just gotten him. She then remembered her mother's words.

…_the most I can ask of you is to find people you love outside this clan and to live on happily…_

Happiness.

That was something that didn't exist…..couldn't exist…..if Naruto wasn't by her side. She needed him and she knew that he needed her. She loved him and she would follow him to Death's door and back. She would fight for him.

She blinked away her tears and surveyed the classroom. She locked eyes with Sasuke and no words had to be spoken.

They were going to get their friend.

Despite their differences, they were united for one person and that was Naruto. Sasuke followed in the direction the ANBU left in while she got up and walked down to the opposite end of the class.

'I've waited too long for him to lose him. He's mine.'

She opened the door and left the classroom much to the confusion of the rest of the classmates.

_**Outside the Tower's Council Chambers…**_

Naruto and Dragon appeared via Leaf Shunshin in front of the Chambers that would decide Naruto's fate. The only problem was that Naruto didn't know what he was being accused of. It filled him with a sense of uneasiness.

'Well, I knew I did a lot of shit and discovered a lot of things over the past fortnight but my actions weren't in any way conspicuous…'

"**You know that you have many enemies within the village. You should have been more discreet as there are people that will do anything to gain control of your abilities or your inheritance. Also, it is important for you to remember that you always hold these three trump cards in negotiations: Your lineage, your military status as a Jinchuriki and your unique bloodline. The second one alone is common knowledge and it should make them wary if not cautious of you."**

"_**Good Ole Plausible Deniability! Admit to nothing!"**_

Naruto chuckled at this capturing the attention of Dragon.

"I fail to see what can be so amusing…"

"For all of eleven years, this village has done every horrible thing that a human being can do to another."

Dragon stayed in a contemplative silence knowing what he said to be true.

"And in all of this, I realize that they can't do anything to me that I haven't already suffered. I have nothing to fear from this village…" He looked at Dragon through the slit holes in his mask "Or you for that matter."

"I see." Dragon said.

"Kami are you still holding on to that "talk as little as possible" thing? You and Shino should get along perfectly." he jinchuriki drawled in exasperation

"You mean the 4 ft 9" far sighted Aburame with a minor addiction to Yuri manga?" spoke the legendary ANBU.

"What the….? How do you know all that shit about Shino!?" Naruto exclaimed.

"I know every important fact about every ninja in this village. I know that Ino Yamanaka is currently on a liquid based diet and currently weighs approximately 20 pounds below the average weight of a girl her age and I know that Kakashi Hatake is not at his expected skill level due to inactivity and the festering guilt over the loss of his loved ones."

"I wouldn't say those were particularly important facts…Strange as fuck but not really important…" Naruto said contemplatively.

"I know that Sasuke Uchiha sees you as a close companion and that Hinata Hyuga has an unhealthy obsession over you." He continued.

"Hehe. Well that's good to know…" said Naruto nervously "How about we go get this meeting over with?"

"And I also know that you've recently come into your inheritance…" said Dragon quietly with a tone of finality.

"What?!" Naruto yelled body now completely rigid and combat ready.

"Be still boy. No harm will come to you. Your secret's safe with me." replied Dragon calmly.

"Ha! Like I'm supposed to believe that. I know your deal Dragon. Complete and utter obedience and servitude the Hokage. You'd sell me out in a heartbeat to Hiruzen if he asked."

"Exactly. IF he asks. If he does not ask, how will I answer?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he realized that Dragon wasn't going to sell him out. Naruto knew Dragon from all the way back when he was a kid. A small while after being kicked out of the orphanage, he had stumbled upon a small cabin in the woods which happened to be Dragon's choice of residence. Naruto raided the house for food and other necessities when Dragon came home and stopped him. Instead of killing him as were the laws of Konoha, Dragon instead taught him how to live off the land, to hunt, to fish and how to make every fauna and flora within Konoha a means to his survival. Dragon had never given Naruto any food himself but he had given Naruto something even more important.

Dexterity and Perseverance.

And for this, Naruto was begrudgingly thankful. But for the months he and Dragon spent together, Naruto still hadn't learned much about him. Just that he was a really strong ninja that served the Hokage personally with complete loyalty.

"I….thank you." said the jinchuriki with an extremely rare and short bow.

"Do not bow to me, young one. It is unbecoming of you. That is your inheritance. It belongs to you and therefore you should have it. As long as you do not use it foolishly, I can see no qualms. But be warned. There are many people in this world who will hate you for what you are and what you stand for or _will _stand for." spoke the mysterious ANBU.

"What are you tal-…?"

"It's time for you to go inside." interrupted Dragon before escorting Naruto into the Chambers.

As the two entered the Chambers, all eyes were on Naruto. Dragon walked with him until they were at the front of the table before releasing him and taking a few steps back. The Shinobi Council looked on with well-hidden curiosity while the Civilian Council observed him smugly. It was not long until one of them spoke their unwanted opinion.

"So how does it feel to be in chains de-…boy?" Sayuri Haruno jeered changing her original epithet of Naruto under the Hokage's glare.

"I wouldn't know." Naruto shrugged.

"And why is that?" she inquired confused.

"Because" he brought his hands around to show the ANBU-quality chakra cuffs to be broken and dangling on his wrists with a large shit eating grin on his face "I'm not wearing any you bubble gum-haired bitch."

The Civilian Council released their best imitation of killing intent while Tsume, Shikaku, Inoichi and Chouza all found themselves somewhat amused at the spectacle before Hiashi intervened.

"How did you get out of those chakra cuffs? They were of the highest grade and are supposed to seal the prisoner's chakra completely." he questioned.

"I guess I'm just that badass then." Naruto chuckled sliding them off his wrist.

"You better tell m-" Hiashi said furiously before being interrupted by Hiruzen.

"I believe that it is not important how he got out of them since he was not supposed to be in them in the first place," the Sandaime said shooting a side glance at the war hawk next to him "Danzo I believe that now would be the time for you to address the "concerns" you thought so necessary for our convergence."

Naruto looked between the two in seeming ignorance 'So this is Danzo…'

Danzo nodded to him and turned to Naruto "Would you be so kind as to explain to Council how your life has been for the past few years or so?"

"Bleak….hollow…painful. That sums it up in a few words but I think that most of you already know this." he said with cool indifference as he watched the varying reactions of the Council.

Danzo inwardly smiled to himself. The foolish Civilian Council had done their job by breaking the boy's spirit. Now it was his turn to reap the benefits.

"I hear that you currently attend the Academy with bad grades."

"I don't have a clan to help me and the teachers sabotage me constantly. I don't particularly care for my lessons when everything is said and done." He shrugged.

"The teachers sabotage you?!" Hiruzen roared "I will-"

"What _will _you do?" Naruto suddenly spoke with an almost indiscernible amount of hate "You have done and will do absolutely nothing because that's what I am to you and the rest of this Council. Nothing. So why don't you let Danzo get to the point of this meeting so I can go home."

"I did everything I could to protect you so don't stand there and tell me my responsibilities!" the elderly Sarutobi responded angrily.

"Except the right thing." Naruto now said coldly "I don't really care in the end of it all. I've learned that the only one in this world that I can trust is me."

The Shinobi Council and the Sandaime averted their eyes in justified shame while the Civilian Council just smiled.

"After all I've been through, there's only one thing I still want from you." Naruto said calmly.

"And what's that?" the Sandaime said now sullen.

"I am aware that you are still my legal guardian. Therefore, I would like for you to relinquish all your guardian rights back to me."

"Do you know what that will entail Uzumaki?" Inoichi said concerned.

"Yes. I don't want anybody else looking over my shoulder or concerning themselves with my welfare but me." Naruto nodded assured.

"I see," the Hokage said disappointedly "I relinquish all guardian rights back to you, effective immediately."

Danzo was now ecstatic. Naruto had turned against the Hokage meaning that his guardianship was up for grabs. This was his chance. But first…

"Naruto," Danzo began to regain the boy's attention "Where do you currently reside?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly 'So this is what this whole meeting's about. He's trying to find out where I am!'

"**Tread carefully kit. This man isn't to be trusted. He looks like many men I've seen in the past who will do anything to acquire power. More specifically, **_**your **_**power."**

'I guess Dad really _wasn't _joking.'

"I currently live in a shitty apartment in the Eastern section of Konoha otherwise known as the Red Light District."

"Then why have you not inhabited it for the past few days?" Danzo innocently inquired.

"That is none of your concern but I do find myself wondering how you came across that bit of information…" Naruto then rubbed his chin and stared at the ceiling in seeming contemplation "I wonder if this has anything to do with those strangely dressed ANBU that always follow me?"

Danzo's eyes widened then narrowed as Hiruzen glared at him "I share Naruto's bewilderment. Those strangely dressed ANBU couldn't possible have anything to do with that Root ANBU program I ordered to be disbanded all those years ago, could it?"

"I still would like to know where the boy resides." Hiashi questioned.

Naruto inwardly cursed when his diversion tactic didn't work and answered "I once again don't see how this is any of your concern."

"I am Hiashi Hyuga, leader of the most powerful clan in Konoha! My question will be answered you whelp!" the clan head demanded.

"You are neither creator nor are you my deity. Also, I am not yet a Shinobi so I am _not _under your jurisdiction. Your demands and requests mean nothing to me so I implore to ask someone who gives a shit."

Hiashi was beside himself in self-justified rage while his fellow clan heads tried their hardest to withhold their laughter. Only he, along with Hiruzen and Tsume, knew that the boy was the son of Minato. He just couldn't believe that the boy, just like his father, refused his will. It was the most infuriating episode of Déjà vu he had ever experienced.

'Minato was a parentless whelp who stole the Rookie of the Year title from me! He stole my Hokage seat. He stole my prestige at the Jounin exams. He even stole the love of my late wife! And now, his legacy dares to steal the respect of my peers! What else will he steal from me?!'

If he only knew…

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I OUTRANK Y-" Hiashi yelled before Danzo interrupted him.

"Relax Hiashi. The boy is right. The boy is not yet a ninja so his affairs are not our concerns." Danzo smirked to Naruto "But you are a civilian and you _do _answer to the Civilian Council."

Hiro, a member of said Council, finally caught on "Y-yeah. You must tell us where you're living this instant!"

Murmurs of agreement went through their Council as they all curiously wanted to know where the demon lived for various reasons.

Peace of mind for some.

A location to deliver him more beatings for others…

"First of all, where I currently live will remain undisclosed as I will NOT be subjected to ANY more beatings on my birthday or any other day for that matter. And secondly, none of you weak pussy bastards hold any authority over me for what I've gone through so just leave me alone and be thankful I haven't eaten any of your children yet." Naruto growled with a manic glint in his eyes before bursting into a fit of chuckles at his own joke.

The room was not as humoured as the Civilian Council erupted into terrified shrieks at the Hokage as they complained now "that their fears had been confirmed". Hiruzen just sighed.

"Naruto, tell them you're kidding."

"Hehehe. Naw this is WAY too funny." Naruto said finally calming down "Besides, I'm giving them what they want. They treat me like a monster so shouldn't I prove them right?"

The Shinobi Council watched him in contemplation and apparent regret.

Well, most of them anyway…

"Naruto, would you tell us if I dismissed them?" Hiruzen then asked.

"No."

"Why?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

"Because I don't trust a single person in this room with my current location."

"Why is that? We didn't do anything to you." Said Inoichi confused.

"Exactly. You DIDN'T do ANYTHING for me. Added to the fact that you're all ninjas, how am I supposed to trust the village's Masters of Deception." Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked at Danzo "So I once again say that I don't trust anyone in this room as far as I can spit."

"So you're willing to disregard a direct order from the Hokage over your location. That's not very wise." Reasoned Shikaku.

"What can this village do to me that it hasn't already been done?" the Uzumaki said as his eyes surveyed the people in the room "Every despicable thing that can be done to another human being has already been done to me. Every beating…every burn…every cut has desensitized me to fear. What can you all possible do to me by the laws of Konoha?

Place me in prison: Go ahead because you're just giving me free room and board.

Banish me: You'll actually be doing me a big favor if anything."

He then looked Hiruzen right in the eyes "And if you want to kill me, do as you wish. Death can't be any worse than the Hell my life has been for the past 8 years."

Hiruzen looked away in shame unable to meet his intense gaze. The Shinobi Council didn't have anything to say while the Civilian Council carried on with Sayumi being the aggressor.

"Well, you heard him. He wants to die so we sh-"

"SHUT UP!" Hiruzen exploded at the woman making her wallow back submissively.

The room quieted back down before Naruto spoke again "But I'm too important to you all aren't I?"

The clan heads began to show small levels of discomfort at the question while Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

"You all are hiding something from me. Your silence says it all. I know you won't tell me but I'll find out eventually so you might as-"

"You're dismissed Naruto." Sarutobi said tiredly "You may go."

"Che." Naruto snorted as he turned to Danzo.

His breath was taken away a bit when he saw the intensity in the man's gaze "I have one last question for you Uzumaki."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed "Naruto, you don't have to answer that question."

"Ask away Danzo." Naruto said ignoring the Sandaime's warning.

"Naruto, I notice that your appearance has changed drastically."

The women in the room found from the very moment he entered the room that he had a striking resemblance to the Yondaime which made him extremely attractive. His eyes were beautiful and his features were ruggedly sculpted and feral. They had refrained themselves as the atmosphere of a Council meeting forbade such behavior added to the fact that he was the one who destroyed their homes all those years ago.

"Yeah. Puberty's a bitch. All it takes is one night…."

'One single night…' Naruto reminisced.

"Yes but for it to exhibit such a change in physical characteristics. Your eyes have changed completely."

"Is it really important to village security what color my eyes are?"

"I suppose so but my next question _is _important to village security."

"But didn't you say that the previous one was the last one."

"My apologies. One more. Some time ago, a strange but very powerful chakra signature was detected with Konoha's walls. Would you care to tell me if you know anything about it?"

Both Councils paid close attention. It was an extremely strange signature that nobody knew its origin. It was mysterious as there was no one inside the village that had such a signature.

Well, all except one…

"Why would I know about it? I have regular blue chakra just like everyone else." Naruto lied now regretting his decision to answer the question.

"Would you channel some chakra into your hand to quell my doubts?" Danzo pushed.

"Chakra isn't visible." Naruto replied neutrally.

"Could you at least try?" Danzo insisted.

"I see no reason to therefore I will not." Naruto said with a tone of finality.

Naruto then turned to Hiruzen "I will now take my leave."

As Naruto left the room, his eyes met Danzo and his breathing was hitched for a moment.

Danzo's eyes were the eyes of a predator who had locked eyes on its prey. But that wasn't what scared Naruto. It was the fact that there was a hint of unbridled desperation in those eyes.

The eyes of someone that would do _anything _to _anyone _to reach their goals.

Naruto worried not for his own safety but for those around him. For all his life, the only one he had to worry about was himself. That was what made him strong. But now he had Hinata, Sasuke, Lee, Karin, Teuchi and Ayame worry about.

To make matters worse, two of them were powerless civilians.

He had something to lose.

And now he was weak.

He closed the door behind him and sighed.

"**Don't think like that kit. Having those brats around you make you strong and you know it. They give you a reason to fight for. Don't forget that."**

'All of that doesn't matter because I can't protect them! I'm not strong enough yet and that Danzo bastard is gonna start gunning for me. That means that I can't train at the estate and I don't have anywhere else to train that won't draw attention especially when he starts sending his scouts to follow me.'

He leaned against the wall and slumped to the floor in seeming exhaustion before Kurama spoke.

"**I have somewhere I think you can train. It's a training ground that your father and mother used all the time. You'll be able to train in my demonic arts together with the teachings your parents left for you and make you into someone that can hold their ground. You can send a reinforced clone to live your normal life while you go and train there until you graduate. Also, it's secluded so I can assure NO ONE will look for you there. What do you say?"**

'I see. What training ground is it?'

"**It's Training Ground 44 otherwise known as the Forest of Death."**

Naruto shivered in the empty hallway before standing back up 'That sounds ominous.'

"**Oh it is. Everything in that forest has been mutated thanks to the Shodaime's chakra to surpass human limits. Every plant and animal were adapted to kill humans which is why it's so perfect for your training as a hybrid."**

'You said until graduation right?'

"**Yeah."**

'Shit. Hinata isn't going to like that…'

As if on some sort of divine cue, two pale slender arms wrapped around his waist while two plush globes pressed against his back.

'This just isn't my day.'

He turned around and moved his head to the side to avoid Hinata's kiss. He needed to be thinking clearly right now and proper cognitive function and her lips just didn't go well together.

"Hinata, you need to get out of here."

"Hey dobe, what going on?"

He turned to see Sasuke in his signature brooding lean with his arms crossed against the hall's wall. It was like the universe was against him today.

"The two of you need to get out of here right now! Go to my home and wait for me. I have some important things I need to discuss." Naruto said while looking at the Chamber's door ever so often.

"But we just got here Naruto-kun." Hinata pouted cutely.

"Yea we came to see how things were going." Sasuke shrugged.

"As you can see, I'm fine. Now go. Hinata's father is in there along with a few other people I wouldn't want seeing me with you all. Hinata, activate your Byakugan and get there without anyone on your tails."

Just as the two turned around began to descend down the staircase, the Chamber door opened and out stepped Hiashi Hyuga. Hiashi, noticing his daughter, acknowledged her.

"Hinata, why did you come here?"

Naruto, with his back turned to Hiashi, winked at her. She turned to her father.

"I came here to tell you that I'm going to begin training more closely under Kurenai but I was interrupted by this ruffian." Hinata upturned her nose in Naruto's direction. Naruto smiled at her acting abilities.

"Indeed. I can sympathize with your distaste. The boy's lacks any civil training." Hiashi agreed snootily.

"You Hyuga bitches are all the same." Naruto snorted.

"You will show our clan the respect we so deserved boy." Hiashi grabbed Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto shrugged off his hand "What's the fuck is your problem? I clearly don't know you and you don't know me."

"Oh but I _do _know you. I know you enough to despise everything you are in this village. You are scum and so were parents." Hiashi growled.

Naruto feigned shock "Y-you know my parents?"

Hiashi smiled smugly "Yes and I bet that you want to know them too but I'll never tell you. You will never know them."

Hiashi then turned to his daughter, now satisfied with himself "And to you daughter, as you seem so keen on training with some meager genjutsu user, I will have to cut our lessons in order to train your sister. She's flourishing under the Jyuken far more than expected and will surpass you shortly. You may even live with her if you wish as long as you do not do anything to disgrace our clan."

"Yes otou-sama." Hinata emotionlessly replied.

The clan head glanced in Sasuke direction "Uchiha."

Sasuke barely acknowledged him "Hyuga."

Hiashi then performed a seal-less Shunshin and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto walked up to Hinata and kissed her cheek soothingly "Don't worry about him Hime. Take Sasuke and go home. I'll come join you shortly. I promise."

He then made a shadow clone and it transformed into a squirrel which promptly jumped into Hinata's cleavage and wriggled around for good measure. She giggled and pulled it from her bra and smiled as it nipped her fingers.

"Pervert." She scolded playfully its creator.

"You know you like it." He grinned before pointing to the squirrel "He'll get you guys inside. I still have some stops I have to make before I come myself."

"Don't take too long okay?" she pouted.

"Hai Hime-sama."

After he slapped her on the ass for assurance, he watched her as she descended the staircase with Sasuke following her.

'Kurama?'

"**Yea kit?"**

'One day, I'm gonna kill that man.'

"**I'll be in charge of tickets."**

_**At the Uzumaki-Namikaze estate…**_

Lee and Karin were currently playing mahjong in Lee's room. It was a game that the two of them agreed on after Lee's polite decline to Karin's offer of strip poker and Karin's refusal to play shogi since she said it wouldn't be fair.

"So Lee, when do you graduate?" Karin moved her hand across the board.

"In a couple of months. I'm not all that thrilled though." Lee moved a piece.

"Why?" she inquired, pausing their game.

"Simply because I'm gonna be the dead last of the class." Lee shrugged.

"How are you gonna be dead last of the class? You can't possible suck that bad." Reasoned Karin.

"I don't 'suck that bad'. I was born that way. I was born with an extremely rare disorder that messes with the chakra pathways in my body so I couldn't use it. Therefore, ninjutsu and genjutsu were unavailable to me." Explained Lee.

"Were?"

"Yes were. Naruto performed a ritual with the help of his demon to reconstruct my body thus curing my condition. I'm really grateful to him for it. I owe him my life." Lee smiled.

"I see." Karin smiled back. She hadn't had much time to bond with her new "family" but from what she'd been able to gather, Naruto was a pretty cool guy. He was friendly, generous, and forgiving with a bit of a foul mouth. For what he'd been through as a Jinchuriki, he had turned out pretty fine. But she was a little bit more interested in his roommate…

"Such a transformation wouldn't be without its drawbacks. Are there any?" Karin inquired.

Now, Lee was a pretty old fashioned guy who believed that a woman is to be treasured and adored. It was a special kind of chivalry that had been passed down to him from Gai and he didn't really have any problems with it as he shared a similar view. But as his eyes began to stray to the juncture of Karin's thighs, he cursed Naruto a thousand times over. That ritual had somehow turned him into a slobbering pervert and it was now messing with his reservations about Karin. 'This feeling….it's so strange. Her smell…her body….why does it entrance me so? And why do I have this unspeakable urge to mount her?'

It was as if his penis had gained sentience.

"….Lee? Lee, are you listening to me?" he heard Karin's voice finally.

"Y-yes. I'm listening. Of course I'm listening….what were you saying again?" he smiled lopsidedly.

"I was asking if there were any drawbacks." She said.

"Not really. I'm operating at one hundred percent. My taijutsu is a little off since my body is different now but…" he trailed off while shifting his leg once again to hide his erection.

"You really like taijutsu don't you?" she prodded oblivious to his "situation".

"Very much so. I'm out to prove it to be the strongest of the ninja arts. Even if I now have a full arsenal, I'm never gonna stop my taijutsu training and reaching new heights with it! I'm going to become the world's strongest taijutsu user ever!" Lee got up now impassioned. He dived off the bed and started doing one-handed push-ups.

"What are you doing?" Karin giggled.

"I am sorry Karin but I simply cannot control myself when I speak of my dreams! My youthful flames will burn FOREVER MORE!" Lee's body now a blur on his way to the dojo.

'I'm gonna like it here.' She smiled.

They were both pulled from their worlds when they heard the door open and close. Lee, who had walked back to his room, locked eyes with Karin. They both waited until someone finally yelled from the living room.

"Is anyone home?" a feminine voice yelled.

"Who's that?" Karin whispered.

"Oh that's just Hinata. Naruto's girlfriend and tamer." Lee said before grabbing her hand and leaving the room.

They walked into the living room where Hinata and unsurprisingly Sasuke were waiting. Both of them looked sighted on the girl Lee was escorting. Sasuke pulled out his trench knives and Hinata pulled out a kunai.

"Whoa whoa! Relax my comrades." Lee placated "This is Karin. A friend of mine."

They both put away their weapons before Sasuke scolded "I'm not sure Naruto would approve of you bringing strange women into his house Lee. You can have your booty calls at your own apartment."

Lee and Karin blushed before Lee explained "N-no no. Karin isn't here for me. She's here for Naruto beca-"

"What?!" Hinata yelled indignantly already pulling up her sleeves.

"No Hinata wait a sec! You didn't let me finish! Karin is Naruto's distant cousin!" Lee explained stepping in front of her.

The room became silent before Sasuke and Hinata became more than a little confused.

"Naruto's into incest? Whoa. I always knew he was freaky but…' Sasuke contemplated.

"Hinata just calm down and let me explain for a minute!" Lee held her firm.

"ONE minute!" she seethed.

"Thank you!" Lee sighed in relief "It's a funny story really."

"Then why do I have the feeling that no one is going to be laughing?" Sasuke interjected as the two girls faced off.

_**Eastern District of Konoha…**_

Naruto walked up the stairs to his apartment to find the door broken in. He sighed and braced himself for what he was about to find and walked inside. As soon as he entered, the smell of urine and feces assaulted his sensitive nose. He place a hand over it and turned to see a wall with the "Die you fucking Demon" in the most creative of "materials".

He sighed and continued moving 'Well, I give them points for originality.'

"_**They'll pay one day. Every single fucking one."**_

He looked at his slashed couch, stuck his hand into the ripped fabric, reached deep down just above the wooden framed and gathered the money he had pickpocketed over the years. Stuffing the many bills into his pocket, he continued to his kitchen where he saw his busted stove. He reached above it into the cabinet and found all of his ramen gone.

"Those fucking bastards stole my ramen….oh they'll pay all right." he muttered to himself and proceeded to his room.

His bed was over turned and he saw the remnants of his clothes burned on the floor leaving a blackened spot in the room. He stooped down and picked up a now blackened strip of his orange jumpsuit.

"**Well at least they did something right huh?"**

Naruto chuckled mirthlessly as he moved his bed to the side and pulled on a loose floorboard. It gave way to reveal his treasures.

There was a hippo night cap, his trustee wallet Gama-chan, a few bright colored feathers he had found in forest and his pair of green goggles He smiled when he saw the last article.

"My goggles…man I love these goggles."

"**What's so important about them?"**

'Dragon gave it to me on my birthday…said it would help me find my prey easier when hunting. But I knew deep down that it was my present…..my first ever present so I always treasured it ya know?'

He picked it up and placed them on his forehead "Ahhh…that feels good…"

He gathered the other stuff and placed them into a bug out bag he had kept in case he needed to get out quickly. He had always dreamed that one day he would be able to escape the village and live his life free.

He still did.

Having it safely on his back, he stood up and was about to leave when he heard someone "I tried to stop them you know."

He turned around to find Kimiko smiling at him "What's up?"

"Nuthin much." He chuckled back "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighbourhood and couldn't resist catching a glimpse of my sexy savior." She smiled coyly.

"I have a girlfriend now." He said cautiously.

"I know." She giggled at his shock "I saw the two of you making out at that ramen joint. Pretty risky though. The Hyuga Heiress?"

"I know right." He shook his head "Trouble loves guys like me."

"Where ya goin'?"

"Somewhere safe."

She walked up to him and hugged him tightly "Thank you."

"For what?" he raised an eyebrow.

"For being a good person. Thanks to you, I finally have my shit together." She said looking up.

"Really?"

"Got a job as a nurse at the hospital a couple of days ago. That money you gave me really helped."

"It was yours anyway. You earned it with your body." The oblivious preteen reasoned.

She released him and turned up her nose "You really know how to talk to a woman don't you?"

"It was enough for you wasn't it?" He jibed.

"Touché."

The two laughed like old friends as a comfortable silence settled in.

Kimiko turned to Naruto hesitantly "Are you r-really….the Kyubi?"

Naruto leaned against the door frame "What do you think?"

Kimiko shook her head frantically "Of course you aren't. I'msorryandI'manidiotwhosealwaysputtingherfootinhe rmou-"

"Relax Kimiko. It's okay. I'm cool about it." He smiled turning to the window.

She reached up and kissed his cheek "I don't care what the villagers say but I think you're an awesome person Naruto. Don't ever change okay?"

He jumped up on the window frame and tossed a wave over his shoulder "I'll try not to."

She nodded and watched as Naruto jumped onto a rooftop and disappeared.

"Strange kid…" she said and left the empty apartment.

Naruto ran across the rooftops before pausing "Oh yeah. I have one last stop to make."

He turned left and blurred away in another direction.

_**Back at the estate….**_

"I see…" Hinata sighed and sat down on the couch with Sasuke following suit at a safe distance.

"I don't trust her." Sasuke scoffed "There a chance that she still may hold an allegiance to her previous Master."

"When my previous master was Orochimaru, I don't really see the use in going back. He doesn't exactly accept failures with open arms." Karin tried to explain.

"So you're only using Naruto for the safety he can provide for you?" Sasuke frowned.

"No! That's not the reason!" Karin clenched her fists on her tights "I…I saw something despicable that changed my view of him."

"Hold on a sec. Orochimaru? As in the power hungry Sannin who betrayed the Leaf all those years ago?" Hinata interjected.

"That's the one." Karin replied.

"What do you know about him Hinata?" Lee inquired.

"Orochimaru was the Sandaime's prized student who had mastered almost as many ninjutsu as his sensei. It actually became his specialty. It was sometime after the Third Ninja War that the Sannin began to change. It was said that his value of human life began to lessen as his obsession over immortality and learning _every _ninjutsu began to increase. Civilians and ninjas began to disappear until their bodies were found days later….deformed. Eventually, his laboratory was found. There are no reports on what was in there as everything was on the hush hush but I'm sure you all can use your imaginations. The ANBU who found the laboratory were probably never the same again."

Everyone in the room was quiet before Karin whispered "How do you know all this?"

It was Sasuke who answered "It was an assignment for extra credit that only some students chose to raise their grade."

"What was so horrible that changed your view of him Karin?" Hinata held her hand.

"He had found it….a ninjutsu that opened the portal to immortality. And it had been inside the scroll he had sent me to retrieve. But I don't think he needs the scroll that much." She shivered.

"I didn't think such a thing was possible…" Sasuke contemplated.

Lee breathed hitched for a moment "What does the jutsu do?"

"It's called the Fushi Tensei. It allows the user to transfer his soul to the body of another….devouring the soul of the host." Karin said looking at Sasuke "But that isn't all."

"It gets worse?" Hinata said now worried.

"When he transfers his soul, all of the abilities of the host's body become his own. Including doujutsu."

"What's so scary about that?" Lee questioned.

Sasuke sighed deeply and closed his eyes "Hinata said he was obsessed with ninjutsu. The Sharingan is capable copying thousands. Naruto isn't immortal but he's the closest one of us to it. At some point in time, he'll be coming after the two of us but me mostly…"

"But the jutsu isn't finished right?" Hinata rationalized "Plus Konoha's defenses are good so…"

"That doesn't matter." Karin shook her head "There's a point in time when Konoha's defenses are at their lowest…when people are allowed to come and go as they please."

"The Chunin Exams…" Lee spoke their fears "Since the second one this year is in Suna, he'll be coming for the one next year."

The silence in the room was thick for several minutes as everyone contemplated the severity of the situation. It was a pretty bad situation as a Sannin level ninja was gunning for Sasuke.

"Th-there's something else I think you should know." Karin turned to Sasuke "There's a Cursed Seal that-"

She couldn't finish as the front door opened to reveal Naruto. Hinata ran up to him and hugged him tightly which he returned. He looked past her shoulder and saw the tense faces of those in the room. Sensing the atmosphere, he released Hinata and turned to Sasuke "I don't know what's going on but I want you to summarize it as quickly as possible."

"Basically, the Orochimaru guy that Karin used to work for was a psychotic douche who experimented on other people in his search for immortality and endless ninjutsu before he left the village. He is currently working on a jutsu that will give him immortality, an incomplete jutsu that was in the scroll Karin was sent to find. The jutsu allows him to steal someone's body and devour their soul and we just found out that he's after my body to acquire my Sharingan. He's coming to the Leaf in about one year from now during the Chunin Exams to get me and perhaps you as well."

"I see." Naruto walked over to the couch and sat down with Hinata jumping in his lap and snuggling into him "Well, I guess my announcement will be to all of our benefit then."

"What announcement?"

"Today, I was summoned for a Council Meeting. Apparently, there's a man on the council who's after me or should I say what's inside me. His name is Danzo and those strangely dressed ANBU that have been following us are under his command. From now on, he's gonna be following me even more closely to try and recruit me so I'll need to lay low from now on."

"Well that's cool I guess. We'll come visit you when we can." Hinata said into the nape of his neck.

"Not exactly." he said making her look at him "Here isn't safe anymore. He'll find us eventually."

"So where will we go then?" Lee inquired.

"Not where will we go but where will _I _go." Naruto said making everyone look at him "For the next year or so, I'll be going to a Training Ground 44 otherwise known as the Forest of Death to train with Kurama in my inheritance and my new abilities. I'll be sending clones to school periodically to fill in for me at the Academy."

"Isn't that the super dangerous Forest they use for the Chunin Exams because of the extremely mutated wildlife?" inquired Sasuke.

"You're not helping Sasuke." Naruto deadpanned.

"I should come with you." Said Hinata immediately, not liking the idea one bit.

"No you won't. I know you worry for me Hime and I would take you with me if I could but Hiashi has loosened your reins but has not let you go entirely. This means that he'll still be checking up on you periodically. You'll "move in" with Kurenai or send a clone to move in with her and come here to train in what your mother left for you along with a few other things. You're pretty awesome with that bow so I have a feeling you'll be a great markswoman." He complimented making her smile.

"Fine but I won't be happy about it." Hinata pouted.

He turned to Lee "You'll be going back to Gai to train under him. You said your Goken feels off but I know he'll be able to correct it. Also, you'll have access to most of my study so you, Hinata and Karin can start your elemental training when the time is right, preferably soon."

"I was going to make things right with him anyway." Lee nodded so Naruto turned to Karin.

"Karin, I've organized with the Chief Medic at the hospital for him to train you over the next year in his medical arts. You'll be a good medic by the end of that time I'm sure. Also, I want you to start learning from the Uzumaki clan scroll, fuinjutsu amongst other things if you don't mind."

"No problem Nii-sama. I've always wanted to learn medical ninjutsu and I was one of Orochimaru's medical advisors after all." Karin smiled flicking her hair.

Then finally Sasuke "Sasuke I have your Fan Scroll." Sasuke smirked at this "I can guess you'll want to start putting it to use as soon as possible but not with those ANBU creeping around your compound. You'll train here with everyone else when practicing its contents."

"So we're all going our separate ways to train and get stronger then? I guess it's for the best." He nodded.

"We need to lay low and NOT to communicate with each other for a while. We don't want to give him any indication of what we're up to." Naruto warned before standing up "Also, I want all of you to learn the Shadow Clone jutsu and to start sending out clones to carry out your everyday lives while you train here as I will be doing periodically during my absence. I've never been one for attendance so no one will suspect anything of my sparse appearances. Remember to avoid relations with my clone. This will keep up appearances."

"It's not that I'm not grateful or anything but why are we doing all of this? A markswoman, medic, Taijutsu specialist, Ninjutsu specialist and yourself? You've strategically created a team for some reason and I just want to find out why." Sasuke questioned now standing as well.

Naruto smiled and shook his head "You're an observant douche Sasuke I'll give you that and yes I am creating a team. For what reason…" everyone leaned in "I'll tell you all when we gather again in a year's time."

Everyone sighed.

He created a Shadow Clone which led them to the dojo.

"Sasuke, can talk to you for a moment?" Naruto said already walking towards the study.

Once they entered and the door closed, Naruto walked up to his desk, reached behind it and threw Sasuke the large Clan Scroll copy. Sasuke caught and looked through it liking what he saw. Naruto then picked up a smaller scroll and walked up to Sasuke with a solemn expression on his face.

Sasuke looked up seeing Naruto's expression "What?"

Naruto then handed him the smaller scroll "I'm so sorry Sasuke."

"What for?" Sasuke asked now looking at the scroll.

"Read it." Naruto urged.

Sasuke opened the small scroll and began reading:

_Mission Report._

_Status: Complete_

_Executor: Itachi Uchiha_

_Summary: ANBU captain Itachi Uchiha was employed with the task of eliminating the Uchiha Clan under the suspicions of a possible coup based on information Itachi had discovered days before. Fugaku Uchiha was reported of having plans of overthrowing the Hokage and assuming leadership and had engaged all able bodied ninja in his clan to assist in this venture. _

_Weapon of choice was his standard ANBU issue katana to deliver concise cuts to the jugular and heart. No resistance was met. Sasuke Uchiha was left alive to ensure that Konoha would have one last loyal Uchiha within its grasp. Itachi, upon report mission success, was instructed to leave the village under the guise of a psychotic missing nin to ensure mission security. Coup successfully avoided._ _Uchiha Clan Purging was carried out at 0900 hours._

_Hiruzen Sarutobi_

_Sandaime of Konoha_

Sasuke read it three more times as his eyes became unfocused. His knuckles went white as the paper threatened to rip. Water gathered at the edges of his eyes as he looked up at Naruto.

"I-If th-this is some kind of prank….I want you to stop…" he whispered unbelieving.

"Sasuke…see the Kage stamp at the bottom of the page….it's for authenticity…I couldn't copy it if I tried." Naruto sighed.

"It's not funny Naruto…" Sasuke muttered looking back at the sheet as if willing it to disappear.

"Sasuke I-"

"IT'S NOT FUCKING FUNNY!" Sasuke screamed diving forward and grabbing Naruto's throat. They both fell backwards before Sasuke began applying pressure. Naruto didn't stop him.

"Stop it….tell me it's not real….TELL ME PLEASE!" Sasuke pleaded looking into Naruto's dull eyes.

"I-I….wish I….could." Naruto choked out.

The avenger's body began to shake with sobs as his grip loosened. Naruto sat up and hesitantly pulled Sasuke into a hug. They just sat there for a minute or so as Sasuke allowed himself to cry into Naruto's shoulder. Sasuke was never one to cry so Naruto knew that all he needed was support. Naruto held him close before he began questioning the strange position they were in. Sasuke was unintentionally straddling him after all.

At least he hoped it was unintentional.

"_**Bitch you gay."**_

'Shut up Arashi! We're having an emotional moment.'

"**I hope you don't plan mating with the Uchiha because he is incapable of producing offspr-"**

'SHUT THE FUCK UP KURAMA! THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON HERE!'

After a moment or so, he helped Sasuke to his feet as his sobs finally died down. Naruto pulled Sasuke off of him to look at him in the eyes.

"You okay bro?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yea…" Sasuke wiped his eyes "I'm okay."

"Good because I thought you were going gay on me for a sec." Naruto jibed.

"You're such a fucktard sometimes." Sasuke smirked punching him.

They sat down for a moment as they seriously contemplated what was in the scroll.

"You think he did it voluntarily?" Sasuke inquired.

"Yeah. Itachi always had a die-hard loyalty to Konoha. That and the fact that I don't think that even the Hokage could have taken him down if he refused." Naruto replied leaning into his leather chair.

"True but to kill our entire clan…..it's just not plausible." Sasuke shook his head.

"You read the scroll didn't you? They were planning a coup to overthrow Konoha. Itachi-nii had to choose between his loyalty to Konoha and his loyalty to his clan. Then when you take your clan's hubris into account…." Explained Naruto.

"What hubris?" Sasuke bristled.

"Don't get all offended. It's general knowledge that the Uchihas and Hyugas both have extremely large egos because of your "blessed" eyes. You know exactly what I mean."

"We're not that bad…" he murmured.

"Yes you are. Sasuke, do you remember how you were when we first met?" Naruto hinted.

"Nope." He denied.

"Of course you do. You were an A-Grade douche but after a couple of kicks up your ass you came back down to Earth." Naruto recalled.

"Whatever." Scoffed the Uchiha.

"But I don't blame you because your father probably passed it on to you." Reasoned Naruto.

"My father passed down his loyalty above all else." Sasuke defended.

"Loyalty to him and the Uchiha Clan but not necessarily to the village."

"As if." Sasuke snorted derisively.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled now getting Sasuke's attention "Are you listening to yourself? Do you know how you sound right now? Itachi-nii wouldn't just go and kill his entire clan, save you, on a whim! Even under the Hokage's orders! He would need a good enough reason and this…" Naruto held up the scroll "is a fucking reason!"

Sasuke sighed "I just can't believe it. He and I were….I…what do we do?"

"I honestly don't know Sasuke. Between Danzo and Orochimaru on our asses, I'll say we better train till we drop."

They sat there for a moment more before Sasuke spoke.

"I…thank you Naruto."

"What for?"

"For getting me my family scroll and this one too. I needed this closure. Kami knows how I would have been if it weren't for you."

"You know, you're the second person today to thank me for some shit that I did because I felt like it." Naruto chuckled out.

"Second?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah. Prostitute….sex lessons….Pimp fight. Long story."

"I'd bet."

Naruto then got up and walked to the door "Gotta go pack. I do plan on leaving today after all."

"Naruto?"

The jinchuriki stopped and turned around "What?"

"You remember our deal?" Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah. If I could prove Itachi's innocence in a year's time, you'll follow my ambitions." Naruto recalled.

"I guess you won huh?" Sasuke crossed his arms.

"Heh. That's the thing teme." Naruto chuckled "All I do is win."

_**At the Sandaime's office…**_

The office was silent as its main occupier was absent. The room was bright as the morning sun shone well into the room through the clear glass giving Kages of the past, present and future who were in it a clear and vivid picture of the village they were meant to protect. It served the purpose of giving these leaders a sense of omnipresence.

"Omnipresence…" a figure moved into the light in front of the desk "It can be such a burden to some…"

Dragon looked at the crystal ball on the smooth redwood desk that was capable of giving its user just that.

He had often wondered his purpose on this Earth. His meaning to exist.

To serve.

"Human spirit is so very flawed…so very tainted…"

He might not have known the reason of his existence but he always had a sixth sense about the impact of one's existence on the world surrounding them. And he had used this ability to "sniff out" those who corrupt, those who protect.

And those who just want to watch the world burn. (A/N: Sorry for referencing Joker but it fits the situation. LOL!)

But upon meeting Naruto Uzumaki, son of his previous master Minato and his wife Kushina, something strange happened. His ability became fuzzy. It was as if this boy, without even trying, had surrounded himself in a haze of uncertainty.

As if this boy's future was undefined. Not yet written in the stone of fate.

'Naruto…Maelstrom. The boy's name suits him well.' Dragon had so decided that he would observe this boy. To see if he could eventually label the boy as he had done with so many in the past. To see if the haze would lift.

But it never did.

Where human nature went one direction, the boy would go the other. Where those of similar circumstance became corrupted in this dirty world, the boy remained innocent. When the world sat on his young shoulders, this boy, like the mighty Atlas, would stand tall.

Dragon didn't know whether to be impressed or terrified.

So he settled on intrigue and had followed the boy's life, each and every detail, ever since. He never once doubted the decision to do so. Naruto's life was hurricane and at the eye of it stood Naruto, unperturbed as everything around him descend into Discord.

Not that Discord is always a bad thing.

Dragon reached down and picked up the crystal ball in his right hand. He looked at it for a moment as black tendrils began to crawl up his hand and into the ball. The ball then turned from a rich purple to a dull grey.

He placed it back down, turned around and walked away as the shadows slowly engulfed his fleeting form.

"Show me your resolve….Maelstrom."

_**At the estate's front yard…**_

"Do you have your camping and hunting supplies?"

"Yes Hime."

"Your parents' journals?"

"Yes Hime."

"A copy of your Uzumaki clan scroll?"

"Yes Hime."

"Some books from your father's study for leisure?"

"Yes Hime."

"Your sword?"

"Yes Hime."

"Enough clothes?"

"Yes Hime.

"Your-"

"Goodbye kiss? In progress." Naruto interrupted before grabbing her hips and seizing her lips (A/N: That little rhyme was unintentional by the way.). She wrapped her hands around him as her mouth opened to admit him. He moaned deeply as their tongues glided against each other lovingly. His hands moved through her hair as if it was the finest silk before moving down to her supple behind. She squealed into the kiss when she felt him do this before jumping up and wrapping her legs around his midsection. He began grinding her hips against him making her moan as their mouths separated. Her soft mewls of pleasure amplified when he attached his lips to her pale slender neck.

In less than a minute, the kiss had gone from PG 13 to Unrated.

Everyone behind them watched the spectacle mouths agape. Sasuke was the most shaken.

"That escalated quickly."

"Indeed." Lee affirmed.

"Do they always do this so….thoroughly?" Karin asked.

"Pretty much." Sasuke nodded.

To make matters worse, the two STILL hadn't stopped going at it.

"You can STOP NOW!" Sasuke yelled finally making the couple aware of their surroundings.

Hinata released her legs from around him but still held him close. She sighed into his chest softly as he traced circles on the small of her back. He then held her face in his hands gently as his eyes met hers.

"I love you Hinata and I think I've known for some time but I…I was afraid. Afraid because all my life I had only myself in this world. Being alone was all I had ever known. But when I met you, I began to form a dependence on you. I began to long for you….need you around me at all times. I hated the feeling because I didn't like the idea of you holding so much power over me. But now I realize that having you doesn't make me weaker but it gives me a reason to fight for."

"Baka. Took you long enough." Giggled Hinata albeit a little teary eyed.

"Why do I always feel I'm in some sort of romantic comedy movie with these two." Sasuke groused.

"I think it's sweet that they have each other so closely." Karin sighed wistfully.

Naruto then released her and took off his goggles "These goggles are my greatest treasure. The first birthday gift I ever got. And I want you to have them as insurance until I come back."

"Okay! Put them on me." Hinata eagerly nodded.

As the jinchuriki did just that, Sasuke interjected "Wouldn't it be sort of redundant for a Hyuga to be seen wearing goggles?"

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm no longer a Hyuga." Said Hinata defiantly with her new goggles on her neck before turning to Naruto "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." He smiled sadly.

She hung her head and looked up meekly "You won't cheat on me will you?"

"Hinata, who could I possible cheat on you with in a place called the Forest of Death?"

"You're right. I'm just being silly." Hinata giggled.

"Well, I gotta go now." He pecked her on the lips before turning to the others "Bye guys."

"Wait." Lee stopped him "Wouldn't be better to simply wait till night to escape without detection?"

"Actually, I've found a way to get to the training ground without any detection. It just so happens that my mother built several portals around village that can be used to move in and out of this compound which is actually located on a hill on the outskirts of Konoha. The one near the Academy is just one of three. Apparently, there's one just outside the Forest of Death most likely for training reasons. Convenient huh?"

"That's cool and all but how did you know all that?" asked Sasuke.

"Because from the moment I opened the gates, this compound became linked with my life force. I can feel where everyone and everything is within the confines of the barrier. While I live, the barriers remain strong. When I die, the barriers fall."

"Did you have to mention the dying part?" Hinata frowned.

"Until I reach my dreams, not even Death can take my life away." declared the jinchuriki before departing through the open gates.

"You better come back stronger Dobe."

"REACH YOUR SPRINGTIME NARUTO!"

"Do your best Nii-sama."

"Come back in one piece Naru-kun."

Tossing a wave over his shoulder, Naruto began fixing the customary array that gives allows him to teleport but his mind was somewhere else entirely.

'Kurama?'

"**Yeah kit?"**

'Back when Arashi was fighting Sasuke, I remember emitting a shockwave from my fist. Any idea what that was?'

"**Seriously? You're NOW noticing that? Just how slow are you?" **He heard Kurama sigh **"That was demonic chi."**

'But then how did Arashi use it before me?'

"_**Because I'm that awesome."**_

"**You wish. Chi is spiritual energy which is way more powerful than chakra as it is inexhaustible and is drawn from the soul. It's accessible to everyone but humans can't draw on it because their Chi too closely linked to their physical energy creating that silly little thing you all call chakra. We demons are basically spirits so we can use it liberally. Now, demonized chi is many times more powerful and volatile but is inherently negative as we demons are generally evil. Arashi is a negative aspect of your very soul so it was only natural that he called upon it first but that was only one type of chi."**

'One type? There's more than one?'

"**There's three. The one Arashi used was called Nekurofōsu Chi which is accessible to most demons as a way to augment offensive and defensive techniques. It's the easiest to learn amongst demons but somewhat difficult to master. Then there's Dākusēji Chi which is even harder to learn and master as it doesn't rely on your Chi but on the Chi of your opponent."**

'How so?'

"**I was GETTING to that. This Chi allows you to sense your user's intentions via their spiritual energy and to act accordingly. It gives you a level of prediction of your opponent's action before they move, much like the Uchiha's accursed eyes, but this depends on your level of mastery. That's why few demons back in my realm ever bothered to learn it. But the more time spent developing it, the stronger the prediction which is why it's such a vital asset in the long run."**

'What about the third?'

"**Che. As if you'll be able to learn Seifuku Chi. Just be satisfied I'll be teaching you how to use the other two."**

'C'mon just tell me about the third one!'

"**Fine. Whatever. The reason why you'll never be able to learn this Chi is because it's only accessible to Gods. Or beings close to them. For example, moth-….Juubi-sama was able to use this as she was the Queen of all Demons back in our world. Since I came from her, in theory, I'm supposed to be able to use it as well but I guess I just haven't unlocked it yet. Anyway, Seifuku Chi is Chi that brings the user's enemies and allies to their very knees. Literally. It's the ability to impose your Chi upon others to the extent that they lose consciousness and, in some situations, die. It causes the user's presence alone to make others subservient in nature. It's one in a million and only a handful of demons in our history have EVER unlocked it. It's something we're born with so the chances of you having it, even after the metamorphosis, are nil."**

'I see…Well two out of the three aint bad right?'

"**Considering that no human has ever been able wield Chi, I'd say you better thank your lucky stars."**

'Fuck lucky stars…'

Just then, the portal appeared and began to expand to the capacity to engulf him.

'I make my own luck!'

And in a flash of brilliant white, Naruto was gone.

_**In the Forest of Death…**_

Anko Mitarashi landed on a large branch sighing wistfully at the scenery before her. After her month-long assimilation/assassination mission in Kiba no Kuni, she was glad to be back in her "playpen".

Large mutated leeches feasting on giant venomous scorpions.

Humongous white ligers facing off against unholy black arachnids.

Ridiculously huge praying mantises ambushing a family of 10-foot bears.

"Ah it's great to be home."

As pathetic as it may be, this was the only place she felt truly safe. Even though it was filled with hundreds of organisms capable of ending her life, it was the only place she felt "at home" in her supposed home of Konoha.

'Especially after that last mission.'

It was supposed to have been a simple mission. Her third under the rank of Tokubetsu Jounin and her first as a leader. It was her with three other Chunin and they were tasked with the assassination of a high ranking government official under the suspicion of him using his wealth to negatively influence those on the Civilian Council. The official, being highly paranoid, had hired ninja from Suna for his protection. Konoha therefore needed a team to go in, covertly join the man's protection detail and, once having gained the official's trust, kill him as discreetly and inconspicuously as possible.

Subtlety was the main focus of this mission as even one slip-up could lead to an international incident with the already estranged Suna. Anko had been drafted for it because of her rich knowledge of undetectable and more importantly untraceable poisons. The Chunin had really only been there to serve as back-up to her and provide higher mission assurance.

They had wandered into the village he resided in claiming they were missing-nin from Kiri which was common due to its bloodline wars. The official now known as Firo had sent out his lower ranked bodyguards to engage them and became instantly impressed with how easily they handled them. It had taken two weeks to gain the little bastard's trust and a further five days to gain the trust of his Suna Jounins. Anko had slipped him her special toxin into his sake after he _insisted _that she join him for dinner in his study. After he died under the "heart attack" the poison caused, she left the room only to be greeted by the all too wise Suna Jounins. Since she had left her weapons back in her room, she radioed her team for assistance as she just barely escaped the onslaught of wind jutsu.

But they didn't come.

No matter how many times she asked for help, they didn't respond. She knew that they were still wearing their headsets so she quickly summoned and sent out her most undetectable and silent snake Kagehebi while she herself faced off against the Jounins.

It was brutal.

They had been just above her skill level and her body had suffered for it. Every broken bone, every wound, every bruise she endured just barely staying afoot. The only reason she survived in the end was because of her fire element triumphing over their wind element in a final jutsu showdown.

'Heh. I burned their asses to a crisp.'

As she laid on the floor gazing tiredly at their burning corpses, her trusty Kagehebi returned to tell her that her teammates had heard her calling them but blatantly ignored it claiming that the "snake bitch had to die and now was the chance to do it".

She had never felt so betrayed and hurt in her life with the exception of Orochimaru's abandonment.

She had spent the remaining week or so recovering both mental and physically. Upon her return, she pleaded to the council to believe her report but they wouldn't claiming that Kagehebi wasn't a reliable eye witness and that it would lie to please its master. To make matters worse, the three Chunin who betrayed her had an almost perfect record with no history of such behavior. The Sandaime had tried to side with her only to be shot down by the Shinobi Council under the suspicion of favoritism. In the end, all they had gotten was a slap on the wrist.

She sat down on the branch all of her previous happiness leaving her.

"In this village, the people who have my back are the Sandaime and Nai-chan and she's already a full Jounin going on her own missions."

She knew that she would have become a full Jounin as well if it was for the accursed Seal on her shoulder forbidding her from training as hard as she wanted. She was forever tainted, forever handicapped thanks to that bastard. She could never find love, get married and have the kids she wanted simply because all the men in the village only considered her to be a good lay. Contrary to popular belief, she hadn't ever had any such relations with a man before.

'21 years old and I've never even had my first kiss…'

As she sat on her branch wishing for her life to have more meaning, she heard the snapping of twigs and the light thumping of a pair of feet. Someone was in her forest but who would be foolish enough to enter the Forest of Death by themselves?

An almost glowing blonde mop of hair poked out from behind a tree looking cautiously at a giant scorpion. The person tiptoed comically behind it completely unaware of the scorpion's innate ability to sense vibrations on the ground. The scorpion turned around and roared at him. Once the person had dropped his tiptoeing posture, she finally had a good look at him. He was a fairly tall teenager with gorgeous fuchsia eyes and a lithe yet powerful body which was pressed closely against his muscle hoodie with a strange sword and a bag pack on his back. His face was ruggedly handsome but was currently contorted in a snarl.

He was sexy as fuck and _definitely _worth her attention.

'Wait a sec…'

He had whisker marks!

Only one person in Konoha had whisker marks and that was the Kyuubi brat. The kid had always been kind of a loner and had frequently been on the receiving end of horrible treatment from the other villagers. She had always shooed the villager's away when she was in the area because it was pretty heartbreaking to see what he went through.

'So he's fed up with the village too huh?...Join the club kid. I'll let him stay here but…'

She pulled out some dango seemingly from nowhere before sitting back and watching the kid avoid the scorpion's giant stinger.

'He's gotta impress me first.'

Meanwhile, Naruto had avoided the stinger for the umpteenth time by jumping on a nearby tree before jumping off when struck the trunk hit the trunk. While in the air, he turned back to see the truck turning a dull green hue where the stinger had hit. Resolving to end this quickly, he pulled out a kunai and threw it at the scorpion's back only to hear a distinct 'clink'.

"What the fuck? Armor plating?!"

"**OHOHO! Told you this is good training!"**

'Are you trying to kill me?!'

"**Maaaaaaaaybe."**

Naruto landed before darting to the side to avoid its large pincer. He tried to confuse it by moving erratically but the bastard scorpion stayed on him fast.

'If kunai don't work, then maybe Ka-san's blade will!'

He drew his clan blade and rushed forward with a battle cry "AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

Only to be whacked away with the scorpion's tail into a tree. In his daze, he registered faint giggling. It sounded beautiful to him but he attributed it to a possible concussion.

"_**Argh? What the fuck are you? A pirate?" **_Arashi chuckled out.

'Stick it up your ass.'

On instinct, he tilted his head to the side as the scorpion's stinger jabbed the trunk right next to him. He could hear the faint sizzle as the toxins did its cruel work on the tree's trunk. Sighing in relief, he picked up his mother's blade and ran forward as a pincer appeared in his path. Spinning on his heel, he avoided the pincer and cut the tail that was in the process of retracting just above his head. The scorpion squealed in pain and anger tail stump thrashed around sending the noxious poison everywhere. Naruto back peddled and dived behind another tree when some came in his direction and then turned around to watch triumphantly as the scorpion's own poison began to dissolve its body.

"**Congratulations. One giant scorpion down, hundreds more to go."**

'It's a start isn't it?'

He looked at his blade to find it completely dry before placing it back in its sheath on his back. He then heard a light clapping sound coming from behind him.

"Bravo brat! Good job with the scorpion but a little less running next time. It takes from the overall pizazz."

He turned around to be greeted by a woman who almost matched Hinata in pure beauty. She had beautiful purple hair that was spiky much like his own with entrancing grey/silver eyes (A/N: I humbly apologize for my inaccuracy. After viewing close to a hundred Anko pics I couldn't for the life of me figure out her exact eye shade) and supple pink lips. She had a DD bust that was shameless pressed against her mesh shirt and was just barely contained by her beige trench coat. Finishing off the ensemble was a much-too-short tan skirt that accentuated her already bodacious curves and metal shin guards that hid what he suspected to be her sinfully long legs. One of the things that really caught his eye was her beautiful tan skin. Although it was the exact opposite from pale regality of Hinata's skin, it was nonetheless exotic and magnificent.

If Hinata was a swooning moonlit night, this woman was a shining summer day.

And yet he was attracted to her. He felt guilt flood his entire being when he realized he was already thinking of another woman within a day of leaving behind his girlfriend. He felt pathetic.

"You done enjoying the view kid?" the goddess addressed him knowingly.

"P-Pssh! As if! I already have a sexy as fuck girlfriend waiting for me at home." Naruto defended hesitantly.

"Hasn't stopped a lot of other men. Why would it stop you?" she inquired.

"Because I'm not like other men." He stated.

"So you say." She said skeptically.

"Whatever." Naruto then turned and walked deeper into the forest. She followed him before tapping him on the shoulder "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to find somewhere to set up camp and start my training." He said over his shoulder.

She pulled back, tripped him to the floor and quickly straddled his chest all in the span of a few seconds. He felt his sword dig into his back as he struggled halfheartedly to get up but she held fast.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" the jinchuriki blushed not really sure if he wanted her to move.

"You can't do anything here without my permission." She said coyly reaching down to give his scared face a playful lick with her longer than average tongue. When Naruto imagined the things she could do with that tongue….

'Sweet Kami!'

Fearing his own body, he pushed her off with new found strength and darted away as quickly as his legs allowed.

Anko licked her lips and followed him 'I have a feeling I'm gonna like this kid!'

Kurama thought it would the _perfect _opportunity to double his weights and resistance seals with a subtle push of his chakra. Naruto stumbled and almost fell as his speed fell drastically under the pressure his body was now exerting on him. He channeled chakra to his muscles and legs to make up for his momentary loss of speed.

'KURAMA, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?! I'M DYING HERE!'

"**YIPPE KAYE MOTHERFUCKA!"**

"SUUUWWWIIIII! SUUUUWWIIIIII?" he heard the crazy woman yell, as if calling a pig, while making kissing noises behind him as a serrated kunai landed where he was a second before. He looked over his shoulder to see her slowly gaining ground on him

"Stop chasing me, you psycho bitch!"

Time froze as a menacing glint entered her eyes. She reached behind her and pulled out eight more kunai, four in each hand with explosive tags attached to each.

"You're…BOOM…gonna…BOOM…regret…BOOM….that!" she began flinging the kunai like a madwoman after a frantically fleeing Naruto.

"FUCK…BOOM…MY…BOOM….LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFEEEEEE! " Naruto's terrified shrieks flew through the canopy and beyond the tree tops as his year of He-_training _had begun.

_**READ THIS**_

A/N: Get ready for a time skip and romantic troubles in the next chapter of Avatar of Discord. Also, I have an awesome idea for another romantic adventure fanfic with Kushina and Naruto but I'm gonna polish up this one and reach really far before I even think about it so don't worry about this one being discontinued or anything. You can look forward to Karin/Lee pairing as a few of you might have guessed already but Sasuke's kickass pairing is one the downlow and doesn't come for _quite _a while.

Review plenty on what you thought of this chapter but I also want reviews on what summoning contracts you think Lee, Karin and Hinata should have. I honestly think snakes might be best for Hinata but I've been wrong before. If you all don't give me any good ones, then I'm going with snakes since Anko has snakes and Tsunade has slugs. Get creative with the other two but make sure the animal matches their personality. I already have an kick ass animal for Sasuke that matches him perfectly so if you all suggest it for someone else and I don't choose take your suggestion, you know why.

Review!


	9. Chapter 9

_**From now on, ALL Author Notes at the top or bottom should be read.**_

A/N: OKAY! SOOO sorry for the long wait. It wasn't writer's block or anything but my responsibilities at home made me really busy. Anyway, I sat down for a few days and finally completed what I started so get ready for a new chapter of Discord! I have listened to all of the suggestions on summoning contracts and I think you've all given me enough to make awesome assignments to each member of Naruto's team.

**dagaz3610: Awesome Idea! Bears really do fit Lee as they can be ferocious if you harm anything close to them. Also, they fit his powerhouse nature. Thanks dude/dudette.**

**drannakka: Who said anything about Hinata being sexually submissive? Lol! If anything, she's the forward one in the relationship! But I do find your suggestion of large cats to fit her nature. Lions, Jaguars and shit could have different field purposes so good work and thank you.**

**Darious Frost: When you first suggested wolves for Karin, I thought you were crazy. A lot of people would think that they suit Naruto more. But the way you sold it to me made sense so I'm gonna roll with it. For those who think I'm going crazy, you'll see that everything will fall into place when I introduce the contract.**

**Omega Kyuubi Crusader (Story Spoiler!): I think that I'm gonna stick with Toads for Naruto. At first, I was like Dragons are the shit but then I saw how many people were using Dragons as the Uzumaki summons nd decided that I didn't want to go that way especially since Dragons to me are a bit overkill. Also, I cannot deny how useful a skill Sage Mode can be.**

**I gave Sasuke Hawks (Or maybe just large Birds of Prey in general) for obvious reason. Good eyesight, those wings he got in the Cursed Seal in the anime and all that. Plus a lot of Birds of Prey are loners (I've research it) so it just fits him.**

**For ALL the contracts, there will be Large Boss Summons so prepare yourself. **

And that's it. Those are the contracts and who they will be given to. By the way, summons won't be introduced for quite a while so have patience. Also, I've fixed chapters 1-4 and even a bit of five to what I believe to be an acceptable level. Review and tell me if it is. So anyway, in this chapter things are gonna change. A LOT. They're gonna be stronger, faster and most of all wiser. With enemies like Danzo and Orochimaru on the horizon, they're gonna have to be. Prepare yourself as they face new challenges and rivals. A few new friends along with those who wish to be more? Read and find out!

**Disclaimer: Masahatsu Kishimoto's, not mine.**

_**Avatar of Discord**_

**Chapter 9**

**Changes**

_**Fourteen months later….**_

_**Haruno's Residence…**_

_**Sakura's Room…**_

On this bright June morning, many of Konoha's adolescent youth were in a flurry of activity as they scrambled to get their things together. It was a day of major importance mainly due to the fact that it would either be the day they would join the very first rank of Konoha's Ninja Corps as proud genin or the day they would have to repeat the Academy's senior year in which many fall out and join the Civilian Corps to learn a trade, subsequently being forced into a life of mediocrity.

It was make it or break it.

Many of those who pass will forever rub it into the face of those who didn't. Many stayed at the Academy for these four years just to gain such a childish privilege. Most didn't really care for the rank of Genin or the responsibilities that came with it. Not many at all truly understood what such a service to their village entailed.

These are the youths who will die before their thirteenth birthday.

A few of these youths will realize the inherent danger that comes with the profession. They will train and eat right in the hopes of being able to protect their families and village. They will not be satisfied with the rank of Genin and will aspire to reach Chunin and even Jounin. They will come to grasp the concept "togetherness" and will be willing to lay down their lives for their teammates and village. These are the youths who will rise to greatness and whose names will be spoken in revered murmurs or terrified whispers amongst the Elemental Nations.

Sakura Haruno was not one of these youths.

On this morning, her vast mind was too preoccupied on the task of attaining the love and adoration of one Sasuke Uchiha than with to bother herself with the conundrum of her future career. She already knew that she was going to pass the exams simply because she had gotten the highest written scores in the Academy. This coupled with her perfect execution of the Henge (Transformation), Kariwami (A/N: Don't know of that's right.) (Substitution) and Bushin no Jutsu (Clone) would ensure her passing the Exams.

"Make-up…Check!" she winked to the mirror.

"Hair…Check!" she fluffed her bubblegum mane.

"Dress…Check!" she smoothed out any wrinkles on it.

"Oh yeah those other things!" she went to her night stand where she pulled out her kunai holster and shuriken pouch before putting them in the appropriate places. She posed one more time for the mirror.

"Sasuke, here I come!"

She dashed downstairs where she met her mother's maid, Juna, setting up their breakfast spread for the morning. Her mother was seated at the table in a maroon robe with her hair still tightly wrapped in a towel. Her father was probably still showering.

"Hi Juna! Hi Mom."

"Good Morning Daughter."

"Good Morning Ms. Haruno."

"How many times do I have to tell you Juna that my mother's Mrs. Haruno and I'm Sakura?" she pouted.

"I'm sorry Sakura-san." Juna bowed.

"I believe 'Sakura-sama' would be a more accurate way of addressing my daughter Juna." Sayuri spoke without her eyes leaving the papers she was currently reading.

"Yes Mrs. Haruno. It won't happen again." Juna bowed once more.

"I should hope not." Sayuri straightened her newspapers.

Sakura just smiled. Her mother hated people who didn't know their place almost as much as she did. Juna was being paid to listen to everything her mother's every whim. The lease she could do was address them properly.

'She should just do as asked! Humph! That's why Sasuke and I are meant for each other. Everyone else is beneath us.'

"Hey mom?" she said excitedly.

"Yes Darling?" Sayuri said eyes still occupied.

"Guess what's happening today."

"What dear?"

"I'm graduating together with Sasuke today!"

Sayuri instantly perked up and dropped the newspaper. 'Now that's good news!'

Sayuri had realized from a young age that the only thing in life that promoted happiness was money. Her mother, being a geisha, had never had enough money to give her the things she wanted and she was always angry at her for this. But if there was one thing she learned from her mother was that women were a man's kryptonite. They carried a force that could bring most men to their knees and she had learned to use this "force" to get what she wanted. He mother, just wanting to see her daughter reach somewhere in life, had tried to dissuade her from using her feminine wiles for such deeds but she never listened.

And she _did_ reach somewhere.

Somewhere higher than her mother ever did.

But she had to begin somewhere. And what better a place to begin that at the Academy where future male clan heads attended. She had learned that ninja's earned more yen for yen in their prime than many CEO's did. The only downside being that a ninja's pay check was dependent on their physical wellness, something that was harder to maintain with the ravages of time. But a Clan Head's wealth was everlasting as they received a reasonable cut from all their ninja's missions. Such a living was not one she could deny so she attended the Academy.

Only problem was that all these young men already had their eyes on someone else.

Her first target was the Uchiha Heir Fugaku. The Uchihas had a vast wealth under their Police Force as well as their mission commissions with them being one of the village's founders. He was under heavy pressure from his father to be better that he was. Such pressure had to be relieved somehow and she had offered her body as a viable outlet. She was so extremely close to having him take _solace _with her.

Until Mikoto came on the scene.

Sayuri's eyes narrowed at the memory. Mikoto had caught on to her game and had pulled Fugaku away from her. She had tried to get him back but the boy had been love struck with her and Mikoto seemed pretty fond of him as well. She was forced to cut her losses. Her next target had been Hiashi but she had gotten blocked by Hitomi at every turn. Then she had tried to tackle the Ino-Shika-Cho trio but was denied again when they chose simple civilian girls instead of her. She kicked herself every time for not going after Minato. She had thought him to be a simple orphan not knowing that he would someday become a Kage!

And so she had settled on a successful businessman who she had blackmailed for a seat on the Council.

The years had been good to her and she even begrudgingly had a child for the bastard. But then she heard of Fugaku's child being a boy around the same age of her girl. She had immediately begun to teach her daughter the ways she used to trap others. Her daughter barely cared for them but she forced them onto her anyway determined to capture the young heir.

But was denied again.

Mikoto had caught her game again and blocked her advances on every charge. Then her prayers her answered and Mikoto was murdered by her own son no less! Sasuke was vulnerable and she forced Sasuke to pursue to renewed vigor. Her daughter's crush for the boy eventually evolved into obsession which she was very thankful for as the girl hounded the boy at every turn. She even created a Fan Club.

But the stubborn boy STILL didn't bite.

'But no worries….this time I won't fail.' Sayuri smiled to herself. She knew that the highest scoring male was always paired with the highest scoring female. It was one of the Academy patterns she had bribed into being. Her daughter would end up with the Uchiha one way or the other. No matter how many years it took, she would finally get her payday.

'If only that gem Minato could have at least had a kid before he croaked….' She sighed to herself taking a sip of her coffee.

"…and Naruto-baka actually thinks I believe that he doesn't still love me an-" she finally registered her daughter's words.

"I told you just to stay away from that urchin. He's nothing but trouble." She scolded.

"Yes mother." Sakura nodded as she reached down to get a kiss.

"Now go and get your Heir hun." She kissed her on the forehead.

"Okay mom!" Sakura scarfed down the remainder of her breakfast, grabbed her lunch and darted out the door.

'Get your mother that fortune…' Sayuri looked in the direction her daughter left 'I deserve it after all.'

_**Uchiha Compound….**_

_**Sasuke's room….**_

Sasuke was in the process of choosing his gear for the morning ahead of him. He knew he was no longer being watched by Konoha's ANBU as he had requested from the Sandaime himself that they stop being assigned to him. The venerable Sarutobi was obviously hesitant so Sasuke proposed that if he could pass 5 of Inoichi monthly psychological exams then they would release him from surveillance. The Sandaime reluctantly agreed.

He passed them all with flying colors.

"I guess I have Naruto to thank for that." He said to himself.

He still had a few of them checking up on him from time to time but they generally left him alone. He allowed them this as he understood their concerns for his mental stability even if he thought it was none of their business. His results had always been erratic thanks to his former obsession over killing Itachi. But Naruto had grounded him. With Naruto's help, he had regained his sanity. He realized that he owed Naruto a lot. His Sharingan, his closure and even his weapons were all possible thanks to the jinchuriki. He shook his head with a faint smirk as he snapped his trench knives into place. His long white cargo pants were held up by a dark purple sash with the two ends hanging on his left hip as he slipped on his blue sandals. At 5"4, his short sleeved form-fitting black shirt showcased his well-formed upper body as he reached for his blue high collar jacket with the Uchiha insignia on the back and slipped it on. He tied on his kunai holster and shuriken pouch in their usual places. He stood up with a rare smile on his face as he sensed someone enter his room.

"So it's been a year already….Hinata."

He turned around to find Hinata leaning against the door frame with her usual frown in place. She was a little taller at 5"3 with her usual long midnight blue hair with pinkish highlights. Her admittedly pretty face was up turned at the notion of being around him as he was well used to. She wore a dark lavender long sleeve shirt with a hood that accentuated her 32C-cup bust and was made of a durable material with black strips going down the sleeves. She had a pair of goggles around her neck. It had a small V-Cut and was a bit form fitting. The sleeves widened from the elbows to show her jet black gauntlets. She wore a black belt which held her clasped bow over a dark purple sash. She finished up the outfit with tight long dark blue ninja pants and closed-toe combat shoes.

(A/N: Listen. I'm trying REALLY hard to explain this wardrobe stuff but I'm just not that good with female clothing. I'm a dude. I don't know what cardigans and shit like that are. I'm from the Caribbean. I wear polos and jackets and jeans and shit. And, unless you bat for the other team, you don't really care for the clothing women wear either. But I do promise to go online and get better ways on how to describe clothing. Or maybe I just need a female BETA?...)

"Yes it has. A very long year away from my boyfriend so can we just go already?" she shifted from one leg to the other.

"Yeah yeah. Ease your vagina. I'm coming." He said grabbing his pre-prepared lunch and walking out the door.

"Who do you think you're talking to?!" Hinata fumed as they walked to the gate.

"Relax already. I know you're anxious about Naruto's return. I'm a little anxious myself." Sasuke said as they left the compound.

"Seriously?" Hinata raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Sasuke said placing a hand on his forearm "I wanna see how strong he's gotten."

"It's different for me, you asswipe." She said punching his arm "I love Naruto and I really want him to come home…"

"Naruto's a brother to me. I miss him too, you know." Sasuke said rubbing his arm somewhat.

"It just been hell for me…Our relationship was just taking off when he left so I just felt…" she searched for the right word.

"Abandoned?" Sasuke offered.

"Yeah….I was so accustomed to seeing him every day…..I put all my frustrations into my training just to stay sane." She turned away sighing.

"That's good. He'll be psyched to know that you trained while he's gone." The former avenger smiled slightly to her.

"I never thought I'd see the day when the Uchiha is mellower than me." Hinata shook her head.

"Naruto tends to make the impossible happen." The Uchiha reasoned.

"He does, doesn't he?" Hinata smiled softly.

_**Training Ground 9…**_

Lee back flipped and was about to reengage the haggard-looking Neji when Gai called for the match to end. Tenten had watched the entire match in awe. She couldn't believe that Lee who had graduated as the Dobe of the Class had kept up with Neji who was the Rookie of the Year. It was incomprehensible.

"Good work Lee." Gai nodded as they packed up their gear to leave.

"Thank you Gai-sensei." Lee bowed with a smile before walking to a nearby boulder where his water was.

"Good work Neji." Gai nodded to the Hyuga.

Neji simply ignored him as he walked over to where Lee was. Lee could feel his scowl before he could see it.

"That was quite the exceptional footwork….for someone who fated to be a loser." The smug Hyuga admonished.

"Whatever you say Neji." Lee chuckled to himself "Whatever makes you sleep at night."

"I scored quite a lot of hits in that match." Neji said smirking.

"And yet I'm still feeling great. Perhaps you aren't attacking the right organs." Lee grinned.

Neji did find that strange. In all of their spars, he found that his Jyuken wasn't nearly as strong as it was supposed to. It was like his chakra was being forced out as fast as it entered. He knew that no amount of insane physical training, like that of which Lee went through, was supposed to defend against his Jyuken. But Lee had somehow found a way to lessen the internal damaging effects of his Jyuken. Then there was the matter of Lee's ludicrous strength and speed. It had always felt as though he was holding back.

'But that can't be true…..can it?'

Tenten watched the exchange with some concern. She knew that Neji hated losing as he believed it his "fate" to be exception. She also knew that Lee was holding back. It showed in his restrained body movements and his sloppy katas that was surprisingly still good enough to keep Neji on his toes. She just wished they weren't confrontational with each other.

'Men and their pissing contests…' she mused.

"You may think you're defying your faith by tying with me today but know that your fate will never change."

"Who are you trying to convince Neji? Cause I'm not the one here forcing ny beliefs on you. If you believe that I'm fated to be a loser then prove me inferior to you." Lee said getting up off the boulder.

Lee was now about 5"5 wearing his usual short sleeved dark green Chinese style shirt with black trimmings over a longer sleeved mesh shirt with black cloth around his hands. He had a dark purple sash and dark green ninja pants with jet black leg warmers covering his weights. His kunai holster was on his right thigh with his equipment/shuriken pouch in the usual place.

She had tried to make him go without his legwarmers but found that he simply couldn't.

"Very well then. Let us have a rematch." Neji challenged.

"No can do. I got somewhere to go." Lee said smiling.

"Where ya going Lee?" Tenten inquired.

"I'm going to the Academy." Lee said slipping on his dark green combat sandals (A/N: They exist.).

"Makes sense. They are your peers in strength after all." Neji scoffed before turning away and jumping into the tree tops.

"Still a sore loser?" Lee turned to Tenten.

"Still gonna hide your true strength?" Tenten scolded.

Lee grinned and gave his nice guy pose as his teeth reflected light off of them with a small ping "Yup!"

"Why don't you show him your true strength?" she nudged him.

"Why don't you tell him your true feelings?" he nudged back.

"Th-that's different." Tenten blushed furiously.

"No it isn't." Lee reprimanded "You won't tell him you love him for the very same reason I won't give him a youthful defeat."

"And why is that, Mr. KnowItAll?"

"Because it's human nature to hold on to and treasure a certain level of consistency. We generally like things to stay the way they are. That's because we fear change. We fear the uncertainty that comes with it and what we don't understand. And eventually that fear evolves into hate. When things change too suddenly and the change violates their beliefs or understandings, they oppose it. People won't accept a dead last like me defeating a prodigy like Neji because that's an affront to the way things are supposed to be. They'll throw a fit and ask me where I 'stole' my power from. So I keep things on the need-to-know." Lee explained.

"And when did you become so philosophical?" Tenten gaped.

"Someone taught me to stop being something I'm not. That it's okay to deceive my enemies with my mask but not my friends."

"And who is that?" Tenten raised an eyebrow.

"That would be me." A feminine voice declared from the tree. As the figure walked out into the sunlight, Lee's smile only became larger. Tenten just looked between the two of them in confusion.

This girl, about 5"1, had vibrant shoulder length red hair and red eyes with oval glasses and pink lips over flawless skin. She had a strange swirl headband over her head. She wore a mid-length sleeved dark red dress with black trimmings that went down to her mid-thigh over her black tights with black gloves. It had a long slit on the left so as to not restrict movement. It also had a black zip on the front of her dress that went from her neck to her dark purple sash which was pulled down half way to show her reasonably large B-cup bust covered by a form fitting black top underneath the dress. She had a black and red Bo staff on her back along with the usual shuriken pouch and kunai holster on her left thigh. (A/N: Once again, sorry.).

She walked up to Lee and wrapped her arms around him and Lee returned it wholeheartedly as if he already knew her. He held her at the waist and they ended the hug.

"Tenten, I'd like you to meet my-" Lee began.

"Girlfriend. I'm Karin." Karin ended reaching out to shake a shocked Tenten's hand.

Tenten had always figured that if things with Neji didn't work out, that she could always fall back on Lee. He was respectful, kind, handsome and noble. Which was the exact opposite of what girls her age went for. He was just a little bit too noble which was why she had chosen Neji to focus her affections. And now that she had that door firmly slammed in her face, her prospects with Neji became a lot darker.

'Maybe they aren't too serious…' she said inwardly.

Karin then reached up and kissed Lee passionately as he apparently found himself hard-pressed to keep up with her nimble tongue.

'And maybe I'm wrong….' She sighed to herself.

She had fucked up.

"K-Karin…" Lee said breathlessly as she attacked his neck "Darling you must refrain from such rigorousdisplays of our youthful affection…"

Karin detached herself from him and glared in Tenten's direction "Just staking my claim…"

"Tenten is just my youthful teammate. She has no romantic intentions with me. Tell her Tenten." Lee told Karin.

"He's right. I don't like him like that. He's like a brother to me." Tenten half lied with her hands lifted in a calming manner 'A sexy older brother I would have loved to get with in the future if you hadn't ruined everything!'

It didn't occur to her how wrong that sounded.

"Good." Karin said rubbing his chest "Because he's mine."

"Sooo….Where ya going Lee?" Tenten inquired hoping to change the subject.

"We're going to welcome-" Lee began.

"Back an old friend at the Academy." Karin finished smiling.

'Shit! They're even finishing off each other's sentences!' Tenten fumed inwardly.

"Well I'll see you all around then. Bye Lee." Tenten said before taking to the treetops.

As soon as she left, Lee turned to Karin "Was that really necessary? Tenten is a friend. One of my first friends in the Academy for that matter. I have no feelings for her otherwise."

"How could I know that? Do you know how many mangas start off with the couples being 'childhood friends'?! Sure you two are just friends now but if given the right inspiration…." Karin trailed off sadly.

"Where do you GET these things from? You need to stop reading Naruto's mother's collection of manga. There's NOTHING between me and her, Karin. I told you that I love you, didn't I?" he said pulling her small frame to his broad chest. She nuzzled into it inhaling him deeply.

"Just shut up and tell me you love me again…" she said though the sound was muffled in his chest.

"Well which one is it? Do you want me to shut up or say that I love you?" he joked.

"Since when did you become a smart ass?" she said looking up.

"I learned from the best." He nuzzled her small nose against his.

"Just say it already."

"I love you."

"Again."

"I love you."

"Again."

"I love you."

"Again."

"I love you."

"Again."

Lee promptly grabbed her by the arms, lifted her off her feet and brought her to his lips. She immediately melted into his arms as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Her small pink tongue darted into his mouth as they fought for supremacy with Lee winning. Karin found herself surprised at the intensity of the kiss. Lee was always the more timid of the two and yet this time he was dominating her entirely.

Not that she minded.

His left hand suddenly went for her supple ass as his right attacked her breast. He was becoming more animalistic in his approach of her body.

'I love it!' she squealed to herself as he detached himself from her lips and bit down on her neck. She gasped at the strange mixture of pleasure and pain that filled her and moaned in surprise as Lee began to drink from her. She whispered into his ear lovingly for him to take whatever he wanted from her when he suddenly dropped her and back peddled away from her furiously.

His eyes were glowing red and his fangs were as visible as day.

She whimpered at the loss of contact. She was panting and so was he. She knew what was happening to him and tried to move closer to him to comfort him.

"**Stay there!"** He yelled out in a deeper than usual voice and stood up on shaky legs. She did the same as she tried to get closer to him.

"Lee I already told you that I don't mind. I know that your demonic blood makes you need me sexually and I really don't mind giving myself to you. Don't you want me?" Karin said cautiously.

"Of course I do! That's the problem Karin. I'm not supposed to want you this bad. And I'm definitely not supposed to want to drink your blood." Lee said shakily.

"Why not? I'm an Uzumaki remember? I can refill as fast as you drink so let's just-"

"It's not supposed to be like this Karin! This isn't normal." Lee yelled to her.

"Hinata's learned to accept Naruto with it and so will I. I don't care for normal. I care for you and I really don't mind you having me at all." Karin reasoned as she drew closer to the Taijutsu specialist.

"What have I learned to accept?" said Hinata as she and Sasuke stepped out from the treeline.

"Lee's just having problems controlling his demonized libido and refuses to have sex because he's waiting for when we're 'ready'?" Karin said doing the obligatory inverted commas with her hands.

"You too huh?" Hinata shook her head.

"What do you mean?" Karin inquired.

"Naruto said the exact same thing. He says he want to wait till 'the time is right'. Psh! Whatever that means! I was ready to give him my virginity since day one! I just can't figure out why he won't put it out already! I'm not getting any younger!" Hinata explained animatedly.

"I know right?" Karin agreed amicably.

Sasuke watched the whole situation with a twitching eyebrow 'This situation is so fucked up and reversed…..I don't even know what to make of this…'

He turned to Lee and helped him stand up straight "You okay?"

"Yes. I'm well." Lee assured him.

"Good. You don't look like you'll last much longer."

"I know. Sometimes, I just feel like grabbing Karin by the hips, sandwiching her against a tree and rutting her like some animal. It's so very unyouthful…." Lee sulked.

"It's not unyouthful if it's consensual…." Sasuke offered.

"I suppose so but I just want our relationship to be normal you know?" Lee answered.

"Lee, we're living in a world where children are trained to be weapons from the age of eight, demons rampage on a whim and we can spit fire and walk on water like nobody's business. We aren't in anyway normal and you're gonna have to face that reality sooner or later." Sasuke explained before turning their attentions back into the girl's discussion.

"….so then I finally told Naruto I loved him and he put my hand on his erection and I-" Hinata recalled with a big smile before being interrupted by Sasuke.

"How about instead of talking about the dobe we just go meet him?"

Everyone nodded and began tree hopping towards the Academy.

_**Forest of Death…**_

The Forest of Death on this day was eerily silent. None of the clattering sounds of giant scorpions. None of the loud thumping of huge tigers. No slashing sounds generated by the over grown praying mantises. Just complete silence.

And purring.

Lots of purring.

Such purring was coming from a baby white tiger cub that was cuddling into the lap of none other than Naruto Uzumaki was currently surrounded by enormous white tigers. The tigers around him were completely relaxed as they did that weird genitals licking thing that cats of all descendants do.

(A/N: I don't know how else to explain it. That gross licking thing….you know what I mean. Cats are gross. Dogs rule.)

"I'm gonna name you Saber." He said combing the kitten's white fur.

"It always marvels me how easily you bond with those tigers…. You're more of a dog guy." Anko said walking into the clearing he was in. She was wearing the usual tan trench coat with the obscene see-through mesh shirt and orange short skirt. The pads she wore on her shins were black along with her sandals.

"Wolves actually but I guess I get along with them so well because I know what it feels like to be misunderstood, you know?" he said.

"**Ha! I can read you like an open book!" **a deep voice announced as a medium sized dark orange fox walked out from the treeline to join the duo.

"You don't count Kurama-sensei. You've known me ever since I was in my mother's stomach right next to you." Naruto smiled and attempted to rub the fox behind the ears.

"**Don't touch me you whelp! I am not some simple forest fox you can tame like the rest of these beasts! I am a demon lord and I demand you treat me as such!" **Kurama yelled and bounced out of Naruto's sitting range.

"Aw you know you like it." Naruto smiled fondly as he remembered how he gave his sensei such freedom.

_**Flashback (6 months ago…)**_

_Naruto dragged himself to his fire sight after his latest "roughhousing" session with the forests' praying mantises. They were proving to be good Kenjutsu training and he didn't want his developing style to lack any fluency. He stumbled slightly and sat on his fireside log and basked in the warmth of the fire in the cold night with a sigh._

"_You okay brat?" he heard someone say. _

_He turned his tired neck to see Anko and gasped when he saw what she was wearing. Anko had chosen a flimsy white t-shirt and a pair of figure showing black pyjama pants for night wear. Her shirt was barely reaching her midriff as it was being pushed up and away by her impressive D-cup bust with no bra. He pyjama bottoms showed every single sinful curve on her near perfect body._

_And yet her face was seemingly innocently as she sat there eating his cup ramen._

'_With those damned pink lips! Fuck it all to hell…'_

"_Seriously? That's what you wear to bed?" _

"_Of course I wear this to sleep….Well actually I wear less but…." She trailed off coyly letting Naruto's imagination wonder "Well anyway, come to bed soon."_

_And with that she went to his tent with a distinct sway in her hips._

"**Childbearing hips…"**

'_Will you stop with that childbearing nonsense?! Every time we meet new women, you start talking about their fecundity!'_

"**I'm simply ensuring that any of the potential women who bear your children will have the necessary physical attributes for a safe gestation period and subsequent delivery. You're the one who gets the erections when I mention it. Besides, you're acting like I mention it every day."**

'_First of all, those erections were involuntary! Secondly, you mention it ALL THE TIME!'_

"**Name one occasion other than this one."**

'_The first time Hinata and I met, me meeting Karin for the first time, those Kusa girls from the Chunin Exams and even Kurenai that one time!'_

"…**I said ONE time. You need to work on your listening skills."**

_Naruto chuckled at Kyuubi's refusal and they settled into a comfortable silence._

'_Kurama-sensei?'_

"**Yeah brat?"**

'_My clones found a certain array that should help make the transfer stable…I think we should try again.'_

"…**.Is it safe?"**

'_You know that there's always a risk…I'm giving you a chance at freedom so stop bitching and let's do it already.'_

"**Of course I want my freedom…But I made a promise to your father to keep you safe and Demon Lords keep their promises. Besides, I don't mind being in here so much….Your life's struggles amuse me. It'll make for a good story someday."**

'_Be that as it may…' Naruto answered sitting up 'I wasn't asking for your permission.'_

_And with that Naruto pulled a small scroll from his hip pocket and unsealed what appeared to be a stillborn tiger kitten. He then unsealed his fuinjutsu instruments and began creating the necessary arrays for the transfer._

"**Kit I'm telling you to stop! You stop right this instant! You're only at the Intermediate level of Fuinjutsu!" **_Kurama yelled stubbornly as the seal on his gate began to glow._

'_It'll work this time you'll see!' Naruto's tongue hanged on the one side of his mouth in concentration._

"**No it won't so stop this nonsense!"**

"_Fuin!" Naruto yelled slamming his hand down next to the kitten._

_There was a large puff of smoke that rose above the canopy. Anko stomped out of the tent "Hey brat, when are you coming to bed? And what's with all the smoke?"_

_She vaguely saw Naruto's silhouette and walked over to him where he had a giant smile with black soot covering the rest of his face._

"_I told you it would work!" he declared to the settling smoke._

_She turned to where he was talking to only to find a small dark orange fox._

"_Kawaiiii!" she yelled in one of her rare feminine moments "What's his name?"_

"_Kurama-se-…..Kurama…." Naruto grinned innocently. _

"_I'm gonna call you Kuri-kun!" she smiled putting him over her shoulder._

"**I. HATE. YOU." **_Kurama mouthed over Anko's shoulder._

"_Love. You. Too." Naruto mouthed back as they walked back to the tent._

_**Flashback end...**_

'And to think that all it took was the tweaking of a summoning array and a dead tiger cub.'

He had tried to tweak the seal on the gate but realized that it was far too complex. Even now he only understood bits and pieces of it. One thing he did understand was that it required a key of some kind to make it fully modifiable to his needs.

A key he didn't have.

"I still can't believe you've freed the Kyuubi? What if he was tricking you and you had died?" said Anko crossly.

"But I didn't." Naruto shrugged.

"But what if you did?" Anko persisted.

"But I didn't." he grinned.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Anko suddenly asked.

"I have graduation exams remember?" he replied.

"I don't see the reason for you to take those exams. You're way beyond genin level anyway."

"True but Konoha won't allow their weapon to remain as a civilian forever. I won't be able to carry out my plans if I remain a civilian anyway."

"Why don't you just skip to Chunin so you can be in a team with me as your Tokubetsu leader?" she winked coyly.

Naruto averted his eyes and sighed.

'It's not as if I haven't thought about it…..'

After spending over a year with her, he found himself having second thoughts about leaving her. He knew that he had feelings for her. Feelings he felt that he should only have about Hinata.

It worried him greatly.

The strangest thing was that his feelings for Hinata hadn't decreased. If anything, he found himself loving her more than ever. But somehow, he had found his feelings for Anko evolving from close friendship to something more. Something that it shouldn't be. Something that it couldn't be.

Either way, he found himself glad to be leaving the forest.

"You know I can't do that. My girlfriend expects me back today and I'm not one to disappoint her."

"Why are you with that sheltered princess anyway? She doesn't understand the kind of person you are….the kind people we are." She said frowning.

He knew of her background with Orochimaru. It had taken a few months for her to reveal her apprenticeship and abandonment by the hands of Orochimaru along with her subsequent alienation from the village because of that association. He could see the pain in her eyes as she recalled the event by fireside. He had listened to her closely as she recalled being twelve years old developing girl and being forced to hear names like "Snake Bitch" and "Venomous Whore". She was always unable to trust boys or men as she was not sure if they wanted her to be with her or if they just wanted a good lay with the "Snake Mistress." As she had begun to developing early, it wasn't too long before men began to attempt to force themselves on to her.

"Attempt" being the operative word.

She had found many "creative" ways of making men stay away from her with the use of her snake contract. Naruto was nonetheless disgusted by what he had heard. To him, it was just another reason he had to leave Konoha. Another notch in the gun he had pointed at it. After hearing her story, Naruto, unable to stop himself, wrapped her in his arms and pulled her body against his in a fierce hug where she immediately began to scratch at him and struggle. He knew she was unaccustomed to such contact from the opposite sex. She was on the border of having a panic attack when he ran his hand through her hair. She then broke down as her body was wracked with sobs. After she pulled herself together, she revealed to him that her mother used to run her hand through her hair to soothe her before she died. She had asked him to stay with her through the night and he reluctantly agreed.

The only problem was that it didn't stop there.

He had told her about Hinata and doubled his meditations in an attempt to ward her off. But every day as his training came to an end, like clockwork, she would ask to share his tent wearing the most provocative clothing. He would be so tired that he would just agree. He knew that she was trying to tempt him but he kept firm in his loyalty to Hinata. He also noticed that she was no longer abrasive. With time, she became more and more feminine and reserved when she was around him and he found himself enjoying their time together.

Much more than he should have.

As rested the kitten near its mother and he stood up, his clothing became fully visible. On his forehead was a red clothed head band with the red Uzumaki symbol on it. On his neck was a long dark purple scarf that went down to his ankle with a black strip going down the middle of its entirety. On his upper body, he wore a black jacket with a hood and two thick dark purple stripes going down the front on either side over a long sleeved sleek black combat shirt with a purple spiral on the front and a sturdy mesh covering over each of his forearms to act as arm bracers (A/N: Think of something similar to Jiraiya's arm coverings but black). On the back of the jacket was his purple kanji for Chaos. On his hip was his ancestral sword Henged into a simple black katana on his right hip and his equipment pouch behind him. He also wore a pair of black cargo pants that covered half of his shins with the usual black crossing belts and fox head belt buckle along with his jet black shin pads that covered his weights. On his feet were black steel tipped combat boots.

He then took off his headband and tied it to his right forearm.

(A/N: Remember all the outfit descriptions because I'm not giving these again.)

"Someday, Konoha is going to accept you Anko-chan." Naruto assured gently.

"Who are you trying to kid Naruto? You don't even like Konoha." Anko pointed out.

"True but I don't go out of my way to convert you to my beliefs and make you hate them also." Naruto said stretching.

"That's because you're kind and open-minded…" she trailed off with a blush. Naruto could hear her heartbeat racing and immediately knew what she was attempting to do.

'This isn't good…'

"**Ya think?" **Kurama shared from their telepathic link while he sat a while away watching the exchange with an amused grin.

"In the time you've been here Naruto, I've learned that I don't care for the village's opinion of me….not anymore." She said looking at the floor.

"That's good. Whose opinion do you care for?" Naruto asked dusting himself off.

"Nai-chan's, Yugao-chan's and…yours Naruto." She said meekly.

"That's…um…that's great. Three people who will never let you down." Naruto smiled placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Well…um…if you're never gonna let me down….then we sh-sho-" she began.

*BEEP*  
*BEEP*  
*BEEP*

The two of them looked down at his beeping alarm watch in surprise.

"…9:45." Naruto said sighing in relief "The graduation exams start in 15 minutes."

"**Saved by the beeper…." **Kurama teased in his mind while his fox form just titled its head innocently.

"I really have to go now Anko-chan or I'll miss my exam." Naruto apologized.

"Yeah whatever." She said with false bravado "Just come and visit every once in a while."

"Will-"

She took to the treetops and disappeared.

"…..do." He finished sadly before creating a Shadow Clone "Take my bags home."

As the clone left, he turned to Kurama "Kurama can you-"

"**No! I will not suffer such indignity!" **Kurama suddenly yelled out.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"**You're gonna try to ride me again and I won't let you!" **

"No I wasn't. I was just going to ask you to transform into a small fox so I could Shunshin easier." Naruto explained.

"**Oh. Carry on then." **And with that, Kurama began to shrink until he became the size of a puppy.

Naruto bent down and picked him up. Kurama crawled around his torso before settling in his jacket.

"Comfy?" Naruto asked amused.

"**This….is demeaning…." **Kurama growled.

"Yet you're purring." Teased the jinchuriki.

"**Just go already!" **Kurama yelled.

Naruto's chuckling could be heard through the clearing before he disappeared in a burst of purple gale.

On a treetop nearby, Anko watched his departure. She gritted her teeth as tears streamed down her face. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a purple fang tied to a purple feather. She smiled fondly as she remembered how she got it.

_**Flashback (4 months ago)…**_

_Anko sat crossed-leg on the floor next to the fireside and patted her toned stomach looking at the night sky. Naruto sat near her with an amused expression on his face as he cleaned his cooking instruments in the water he fetched in the river nearby._

"_Satisfied Anko-chan?" he inquired finishing up._

"_Very much so….I could handle some desert though." She winked licking her lips._

"_I meant your stomach. Is your stomach full?" he chuckled, sitting next to her with their backs leaning against the log._

"_Not entirely but I'm sure that whatever's in your pants could full it the rest of the way…" she teased coyly tracing her fingers across his broad chest._

"_Does everything have to be so sexual with you Anko-chan?" Naruto sighed removing her hand._

"_Only with you…" she whispered in his ear._

"_Stop kidding around." Naruto chuckled obliviously._

_They sat there staring into the fire contently before Anko turned to him nervously "Can you….can you put your arms around m-me?"_

"_Sure." Naruto smiled and pulled her into his lap. His arms wrapped around her relatively small frame and her head rested just under his chin where she listened to his heartbeat. She wrapped her arms around him and sighed contentedly._

"_Comfy?" he asked her with a light blush._

"_Perfect…" she whispered into his chest with a furious blush, glad that he couldn't see her face "Best Birthday Ever…."_

_She hadn't said it loud enough for any human to register it but Naruto was no regular human "What did you just say?"_

"_W-What?" she said looking up._

"_What did you just say?" he repeated._

"_Perfect?" she said dumbly._

"_After that." _

"_Best Birthmumble mumble…" she mumbled out into his jacket._

"_It's your Birthday?!" Naruto pulled her to face him._

"_Yea but I don't really celebrate it anymore so what-" she mumbled out confused._

"_Why didn't you tell me?!" Naruto said now angry._

"_Because it's not important and-" she whispered meekly._

"_Like fuck it isn't!" Naruto shoved her off his lap and stood up. He paced around for a second before stopping as if an imaginary light bulb floated over his head. He then reached into his mouth and pulled on one of his fangs. He grimaced in pain for a second as he pulled it out. He held the lengthy fang in his hand and walked to his tent where he pulled out his camping bag. He rummaged through it for a bit before pulling out a handful of long brightly coloured feathers and turned his back to her._

"_What are you doing?" Anko said trying to look over his shoulder._

"_No peeking!" he barked making her recoil._

_After a couple of seconds, he turned around and pulled her hand to his, opened it and placed something in it brfotr closing it again._

"_I wish I could have done better….you're one of my precious people and you deserve as such but this is very special to me as well." He said gesturing to her hand "Open it."_

_She smiled at his admission and opened her hand. In it was a purple tinted fang tied to a purple feather. The fangs almost glowed in the moonlight as well as the feather which she suspected came from a Bird of Paradise as it was so vibrantly coloured. The strange trinket was nonetheless beautiful. _

_Naruto saw her confusion and decided to explain "Since it was on such short notice and I could get you anything expensive, I decided to give you something that's rich in meaning instead. The fang represents a piece of myself that will act as a symbol of protection over my precious person. The feather belongs to the rare birds that I've caught during the time I spent homeless. It represents the celebration of life and my will to live. A birthday is, more or less, a celebration of surviving another year so I thought it might fit the occasion as I'm celebrating my close friend living another year."_

"_N-Naruto…" the female pariah's voice cracked as a few stray tears fell from her eyes "I….don't know what to say…."_

"_You don't have to say a word Anko-chan." Naruto smiled._

"_Th-Thank you…s-so m-much." Anko whispered cradling the trinket closely to her chest as she cried softly._

"_Pretty girls shouldn't cry Anko-chan." Naruto whispered into her ear before kissing her softly on the cheek._

_She gasped and looked at him in shock._

'_He thinks….I'm pretty…?'_

"_Happy Birthday Anko-chan." Naruto winked before standing up and returning to the fire._

_Anko looked at his retreating back and then to the trinket in her hand._

'_It is now….Naruto-kun….'_

_**Flashback end…**_

She looked at the trinket with a sad smile. She gathered it in her fist and gritted her teeth in anger.

"I'm sorry Hyuga but I can't let him go…I just can't." she said solemnly to the empty clearing before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

_**At the Academy…**_

Iruka entered the classroom of Shinobi-hopefuls with a smile. He reminisced when he did the exams that granted him Genin rank. He was one of the top students in his class and had passed the test easily enough. He was worried though. The test he did was far more difficult than the exams presented before them presently. His exams had tested him on everything in both the field and the mind. Espionage, Tactics, Infiltration, Weapon Accuracy, Tracking, Evasion, Reconnaissance, Survival, First Aid, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and even basic Genjutsu were all tested on basic but sufficient levels. This was done to lay the foundation to ensure high Genin survival rates. Also, this ensured that their sensei could skip to the more vital teachings thus ensuring Konoha's military might.

But now things were different.

The syllabus had been watered down and the curriculum was now grossly inadequate. Field tests now only required mere weapon accuracy and taijutsu spars along with the execution of three simple jutsu that the students had come to do on this day. Vital aspects of a ninja's functions like physical fitness and taijutsu were now being overlooked and more and more civilian children were getting by regardless of their blatant inexperience. He had figured out a long time ago that this was the work of the Civilian Council but realised that he could do nothing and hoped that their future sensei would fail them. In his mind though, he knew better.

A lot of his students who passed this test were simply going to die.

That was the ugly truth. But there was hope for a few of them, mainly the Clan Heirs. He knew that the Uchiha Heir as well as the Hyuga Heiress would do well as they were from the two highest ranking clans. The Nara, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka Heirs would follow suit. The Yamanaka Heiress Ino however would struggle severely in the ninja world unless she discarded her narcissistic fangirl tendencies. But the underdog that was on everyone's mind was Naruto.

'Naruto's attendance was sporadic at best for the last year or so. He was missing for the past three months and then came in civilian clothes for the last few tests. Added to that, his scores are all at 50% on the dot. He's holding back severely and I just want to know why.'

On the previous day, the jinchuriki's gave spectacular results in the physical and weapon's test following closely behind Hinata who scored perfect on the weapons and Sasuke who scored high in both tests. Iruka still had the distinct feeling he could have topped the scores. Also, Naruto's written Genin examinations results the week before were deplorable as usual but his answers were _too _wrong. Iruka's fellow staff told him that he was looking too much into it but he knew what he saw.

'Naruto's multiple choice exams were in a constant pattern of A, B, C, D as if taunting me. His replies on answers concerning the Kages, questions he _always _aces, were silly answers like bologna and ramen. Why is he trying to act dumber than he actually is?'

It was a question he intended to answer before the day's end.

The class had yet to notice his presence in the classroom as they were caught up with their usual chatter. A tick mark appeared on his head as he prepared himself to use his signature Big Head no Jutsu when a hand rested on his shoulder.

"Relax Iruka-sensei. You don't always gotta be so loud."

He turned around and came face to face with none other than Naruto. What surprised Iruka was that he hadn't even sensed the boy.

'I knew I was caught up in my musing but I'm still a sensor. I can sense where any ninja in a 100 meter radius and yet I couldn't sense him! How is it possible for me not to sense the boy I've chased around the village so many times in the past?

"Ah Naruto. Haven't seen you in a while." Iruka smiled.

"I was here last week wasn't I?" Naruto pointed out.

"Yes but you were not wearing such clothing." Iruka said looking him over.

"As a man evolves, so must his sense of self-representation." Naruto quoted and turned to leave "And evolved I have as you will see today."

"Yet you're holding back so much in your scores. I hope you know that regardless of your scores today, you'll remain as dead last." Iruka narrowed his eyes.

In the loud chatter of the classroom, Naruto chuckled and looked over his shoulder "Dead Last….Rookie of the Year…who the fuck cares?"

Iruka clenched his fists but kept quiet.

"They're all just titles…and for what? For my peers to respect me, to create a fan club in my name or for the village to put me down as a pest? I don't need people to like, respect or believe in me. As long as I believe in myself and my abilities, I don't need those things. Just let me do this test and get my headband so I can go relax with my friends."

Iruka just sighed and chuckled "I'll never understand you Naruto. You may have your seat."

As Naruto made his way to his seat, he locked eyes with Sasuke and Hinata and gave them both a genuine smile before nodding. They returned the gesture before returning to what they were doing.

'Not yet guys…..after.'

"Okay class quiet down! Quiet Down! Good. Now, as you all know, today is the final Genin exam that will decide whether or not you all become Genin. You will all be required to make a Bunshin, do a Kawarimi and Henge into a person of our choosing. Upon completion of these three jutsu, you will be awarded your headband and the Genin rank in Konoha's military forces. All three jutsu must be executed in the allotted time of ten minutes. The classroom connected to this one is where you will be tested. You will be called upon via the P.A. system in alphabetical order. The exam proctors will be me and Mizuki here. I wish you all the best of luck."

Everyone waited in anticipation as Iruka and Mizuki left the room. You could hear a pin drop.

"_Shino Aburame."_ The speaker box above the door announced. Shino got up and walked down to the bottom of the class where he opened the door and exited the room.

The room then exploded once again as students gossiped to one another on how easy the test would be.

Naruto used this opportunity to shut off his surroundings and catch up on his reading. Hinata occupied her time by staring intently at him and Sasuke looked out of the window next to him with a annoyed expression on his face completely ignoring two nameless fangirls' attempts to ask him out. Naruto was about to turn his page when Sakura finally noticed him.

"Naruto?! When did you get here?!" she screeched.

Everyone as if on cue turned to Naruto with Sakura's loud proclamation. Naruto could feel the stares of everyone on his person and sighed.

"What do you want Sakura?"

"Hah! As if I could want anything from you. I just want to know why you were absent from school for the last three months. You better not be trying to show up Sasuke-kun!" She yelled getting murmurs of agreement from her deluded companions.

"_Chouji Akimichi."_

Naruto thought back to the last three months 'I remember now. I tripled my training in the last three months and had to stop sending shadow clones to school as I was afraid they would disperse.'

"None of your damn business." Naruto said turning his eyes back to his book.

"Stop trying to look intelligent by reading that book! You better pay attention to me!" she said raising her fist.

"If you don't want to see how well I can use my sword, you'd drop that fist. Mutilating fugly fangirls isn't on my to-do list today." He said calmly turning his page.

Hinata giggled lightly to herself and watched on while Sasuke smirked and returned his attention to the window next to him. The fangirls gaped at the insult before Sakura came to their defence.

"A-As if! My mother is on the council and-"

"I know exactly who she is and I don't give a fuck. I'll cut her too if you don't get out of my personal space." Naruto said releasing a pulse of mild killing intent making Sakura and her followers take a couple of steps back "Now go back to your seat like a good little girl."

Sakura hesitated before scoffing "W-Whatever Naruto-baka. I don't have time to waste on you anyway."

Flicking her hair, she returned to her seat and the classroom settled down to a few quiet murmurings here and there. Names were called and the room's occupants became fewer and fewer.

"_Sakura Haruno."_

"Time to show them how it done!" Sakura boasted before running through the door.

He found that he couldn't concentrate on what he was reading so he closed it and fell asleep. Time passed as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

"_Naruto Uzumaki."_

"Blubbercurrygoatblubber." Naruto gargled in his sleep.

"_Naruto Uzumaki."_

"BlubberHinata'spantiesinmyramenYAY!blubber." he turned to the other side.

"_NARUTO UZUMAKI!" _

"Hoozawhatzit!" Naruto shot up with his hand on the hilt of his blade. Everyone was staring at him with a few of the remaining girls sporting large blushes on their face.

"Naruto they're calling your name!" Ino yelled.

Naruto jumped over his table and blasted through the door snapping it off the hinges. His feet slided on the marble floors before his body came skidding stop.

"Safe!" Naruto declared.

Ino and the remaining students looked through the doorway in absolute shock. Iruka and Mizuki looked down at the busted door.

'That was a steel framed door! Naruto blasted through it and bended the steel bracings like they were nothing! There no evidence of him using the Kyuubi's chakra otherwise I would have felt the killing intent so how in the world is that possible?!' Iruka reasoned to himself thoroughly disturbed. He turned his attention back to the other Shinobi-hopefuls.

"Th-the rest of you better g-get back to your seats!"

Everyone shakily did as asked and returned to their seats.

Iruka turned to Naruto and gestured to the broken door "How?!"

"Hehe! Sorry Iruka-sensei. I guess I just don't know my own strength." Naruto grinned rubbing the back of his head.

"Let's just get the test over with." Mizuki offered.

Iruka sighed and returned to his seat "Okay Naruto. You know what you have to do. Perfect execution of the Henge, Kawarimi and Bunshin with three multiplications of yourself. Start whenever you're ready."

Naruto crossed his arms "I'll do this all with my hands crossed."

"As long as it gets done." Mizuki replied uncaringly.

"Begin." Iruka prompted.

"Henge." In a poof of smoke, Naruto transformed into an exact replica of the legendary ANBU Dragon whose arms remained crossed.

"Very good Naruto. Now Kawarimi." Iruka marked something in his notebook.

Naruto disappeared and in his place appeared Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke looked at his surroundings and gritted his teeth.

"DOBE! PUT ME BA-" Sasuke began before he disappeared and Naruto reappeared.

"Sheesh! What a nag." The jinchuriki grumbled.

"Good work Naruto. And finally the Bunshin no J-" Iruka chuckled.

Next to Naruto were three clones arms crossed all with the same bored facial expression.

Iruka and Mizuki were both shocked. They all knew of Naruto's horrible chakra control which would make the Bunshin extremely difficult due to its low chakra requirement. Yet, he had managed to create all three without fail.

Mizuki got up and narrowed his eyes "Are those clones solid?"

Naruto instantly dispelled them and glared back at the instructor "How would I, an academy student, be able to make solid clones asshole?"

"No need for profane language Naruto. You obviously passed due to extremely hard work, am I right?" Iruka praised.

"You don't know the half of it." The hybrid replied.

"Wait! You need to show a skill outside of the Academy's teachings to pass." Mizuki smiled smugly.

"Mizuki you know fully well that that was designed for children from clans to showcase their development and therefore optional." Iruka defended.

"Don't worry Iruka-sensei. I got this." Naruto then turned to Mizuki "Lift up your shirt."

"Why would I do that?" Mizuki said hesitantly.

"To show you my little skill. I can't pass without showing you this can I?" Naruto jibed.

Mizuki, knowing that he couldn't decline, lifted his shirt to reveal his fairly toned lower abs. Naruto loosened and pulled up his arm bracers to reveal a strange pattern. He tapped it twice, then once and twice again and out popped a paint brush and a jar of ink. Before they could inquire about the strange instruments, Naruto dipped the brush into the ink and began painting eerie patterns on Mizuki's lower torso. He allowed it to dry before standing up.

"Fuinjutsu I presume?" Iruka questioned obviously impressed.

"Precisely." Naruto grinned before turning back to Mizuki "**Fuin!** (Seal!)"

The symbols began converging forming a small circular pattern just above Mizuki's boxer line with a few stray symbols descending into his underwear.

"Wh-What does it do?" Mizuki asked a little scared.

"Oh just the basics….I placed a penile growth restriction seal above your…'soldier' and a barrier seal around your testes." Naruto said with Iruka's face cringing with every word "For all intents and purposes, I've made you impotent."

"You little fucktard! Undo it right NOW!" exclaimed the now sterile instructor angrily as he tried to attack Naruto only for the jinchuriki to nimbly sidestep him.

"Now haha Mizuki hehe you asked for his special skill didn't you?" Iruka laughed out holding his sides.

"Do I get my headband now?" said Naruto calmly as he smoothly avoided Mizuki's attempts to kill him.

"Of course Naruto." Iruka smiled before turning to his fellow instructor "Stop it now Mizuki! Naruto will unseal you in a moment, won't you Naruto?"

Naruto smiled smugly and lied "Unfortunately, I can't."

"WHAT?!" Mizuki exclaimed.

"Because it wears off in a few hours by itself. You can kiss any plans you had tonight goodbye though."

'You'll pay for that brat.' Mizuki fumed.

"Here you go Naruto." Iruka place the headband into his hand "You've earned it."

"Thank you Iruka-sensei." Naruto said with a smile before leaving the room. He walked through the empty glancing at the occasional window. From his view point, he could see the courtyard where all the parents were proudly embracing those who passed and comforting those who failed. He sighed and kept walking.

Kurama popped out from his jacket **"Bah! Who needs parents! They have shitty civilian ones anyway. Yours were legends."**

This brought a small smile to Naruto's face "They were, weren't they?"

After Kurama retreated back into his jacket, he continued to proceed down the corridor while looking at the numbers on the doors '4-A….4-B…..4-C...Here we go 4-D.'

He opened the door and stepped inside and was immediately blindsided by Hinata who promptly wrapped her legs around his torso and attached her lips to his. His arms immediately went around her torso before settling on her behind. She pulled her lips from his.

"I thought you were a breast man." she whispered to him huskily.

"I never made such a proclamation. I desire your entire body."

She smiled.

"But I do have a special adoration for your ass." he grinned.

"C'mere you." She giggled before kissing him with renewed vigour.

"Get a room already. Am I right Lee?" Sasuke scowled to himself while Lee was doing one handed push-ups next to him.

"I…pant…find their…pant…affection…pant…to be quiet….pant…refreshing."

"Me too." Karin squealed from her sitting position on Lee's back.

Naruto finally released her lips and attempted to pull her off but she simply didn't budge.

"Umm Hime? You can let go now."

"Nope. I'm never letting you out of my sight again." Hinata whispered into the nape of his neck.

"Whatever you say Hime." Naruto chuckled before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a privacy seal. He slapped it on the door and attempted to close it only to have a slender hand rest upon his own.

'Oh no….Not now! DEFINITELY NOT NOW!' his eyes widened as he sensed the person behind him.

"So brat, you taught you could just leave me in that forest after everything we've been through? You've got another thing coming brat!" A feminine voice declared.

"Naruto…who is she?" Hinata looked up at the strange woman behind him. She suddenly fell to the floor and found her body firmly wrapped around a log.

"Where did he get the log from?" Sasuke sweat dropped.

They all heard a voice in the distance "Do not question the power of the LOOOOOOOOG!"

"Why would he run away though…..Unless…" Karin narrowed her eyes.

"Naruto cheated on me?" Hinata finished with hurt in her eyes.

"No he didn't." the woman clarified "No matter how much I tempted him, no matter how many opportunities I gave him, he refused to give me anything more than a peck on the cheek."

"That's Naruto." Lee grinned now standing up "Loyal to a fault."

"Then why are you here then?" Sasuke asked.

"Because I…" the woman hesitated with her hand over her chest "I want the brat for myself okay?"

The entire room went silent. Not a creature was stirring.

Except for a mouse.

"Naruto, release that Henge this instant!" Hinata demanded eyes not leaving the woman's.

Naruto did as asked and stood in the corner as if awaiting judgement.

"You stay here." She said before looking back at the woman "And you….what's your name?"

"Anko. Mitarashi Anko."

"I want to speak with you outside for a moment." And with that, Hinata walked outside with Anko following closely behind.

"You never cease to amaze me Dobe. How do you get yourself into these situations?" asked the former avenger.

"I really don't know Teme. All I do is treat people, especially woman, with kindness and respect and somehow I always end up in trouble." Naruto rubbed behind his head.

"See where that got you?" Sasuke replied all knowingly.

"Oh! I see now." Naruto exclaimed as if all the universe's secrets were now clear.

"Sasuke-baka! Stop trying to pollute my onii-sama!" Karin yelled before turning to Naruto, now speaking almost motherly "Keep being a good person Naruto-nii. You don't want to end up a cold lonely bastard like Sasuke, do you?"

"Okay Karin-nee." Naruto smiled innocently.

"I hate you all." Sasuke brooded.

_**With Hinata and Anko…**_

"Listen I don't care about anything you have to say alright? You don't even need the kid. You're a freaking Hyuga for fuck's sake. You can get anyone you want" Anko ranted.

Hinata just stared at her impassively.

"I'm the one whose past matches his. I understand his pain. You're just a pampered Hyuga who doesn't know wh-"

Hinata raised a hand to stop "Okay I'm sold."

"What?" Anko inquired.

"You love him, don't you?" Hinata giggled.

"I wouldn't go that far girlie." Anko tried to assure her.

"Of course you do. You wouldn't have come all this way from the Forest of Death if you didn't love him. I'm just glad he found someone beautiful that I actually like." Explained Hinata.

"You better start explaining Princess." Said Anko confusedly with a slight blush.

"Do you even what Naruto is? Who he is?" inquired the Hyuga Heiress.

"Yeah." Anko shrugged "I can't tell you though. It's an S-Class secret."

"No I don't mean the whole jinchuriki thing." Hinata drawled.

"You know about him being a jinchuriki?!" she whispered fiercely.

"Yes but that's beside the point. Focus here." Hinata sighed before dragging them to another room and slapping a privacy seal on the shut door.

"I take it that Naruto didn't tell you?" Hinata sat back in a nearby chair.

"Tell me what?" Anko raised an eyebrow.

"Naruto isn't human. Not anymore. Over a year ago, the Kyuubi gave Naruto a bloodline. A very powerful body-based bloodline that made Naruto more animalistic. More feral." Hinata told her.

"Where's this going?" asked Anko.

"Naruto's libido is many times that of a normal human's. Added to that fact, Naruto's eligible for the C.R.A. due to his bloodline and….other lineage traits. Anyway you put it, Naruto's gonna allowed and is gonna need more than one woman to be with."

"You m-mean you want to share?!" Anko eyes widened incredulously.

"Sure. In all the years that I've stal-observed him, I've realized that I just want to be with him. Around him in any way possible. I'm fine with the notion of sharing him with someone else as long as I like the person and we get along fine. I love Naruto and I think that he deserves of more than one person."

"How many more?" Anko's eyes narrowed.

"I'll only permit one more. He must belong to us after all." Hinata smiled deviously rubbing her hands together in the likeness of a villain.

"Indeed." Anko returned with a similar expression.

_**In the adjacent room….**_

Naruto sneezed "That's strange…"

"What is it Dobe?" Sasuke inquired.

"I just have this strange feeling that my future love life is being determined." Naruto shivered.

"Only trouble can occur when women converge. It's like a bad omen." Sasuke reasoned.

"I concur." Lee agreed sagely.

"We are NOT that bad!" Karin yelled brashly before thinking to herself 'Are we?'

_**Back with Hinata and Anko….**_

"….and that's basically how I fell for the brat. Pathetic isn't it?" Anko finished up nervously.

"Being feminine and falling in love with someone isn't a weakness Anko. It doesn't make you vulnerable. It's a strength. My greatest strength." Hinata beamed.

"Yeah but I don't have all of your stuff going for me." Anko persisted.

"My stuff?" Hinata quoted.

"Yeah. The wealth, the status or even the prestige. I don't even have a lick of that etiquette stuff and-"

"Naruto doesn't care for that shit. Neither do I. I would give up my shitty Hyuga name in an instant to be with him. I hate my clan and the stubborn old bastards that run it anyway. All I want and will ever need is Naruto." Hinata explained.

"You seem pretty gung-ho for a princess. I like that." Anko smirked.

"Thanks. Believe it or not, I used to be really shy and introverted not all that long ago." Hinata reminisced.

"What changed?"

"I came across Naruto's beaten and broken body one evening after the villagers were done with him. The sight slapped the shyness right out of me. It changed me into the girl I always wanted to be when I was around Naruto. Albeit a tad obsessive." Hinata giggled strangely.

'Something tells me that this girl is a few cards short of a full deck…' Anko sweat dropped.

"Also, can you stop referring to our Naru-kun as a 'brat'?" Hinata requested with that eerie smile of hers.

"O-Okay. W-Whatever you say." Anko replied thoroughly creeped out.

"But anyway, what are your dreams for the future?" Hinata inquired with her attitude taking a complete 180.

"My only plans are to kill that bastard of a snake Orochimaru. Not much else I guess." Responded the Tokubetsu Jounin with her hand unconsciously resting on her neck.

"Can I see your neck?" Hinata said more than asked as she made her way to the older woman.

"No! You can't see it because I….um…it's gotta really bad scar on it." Anko said anxiously as she tried to avoid the Hyuga's prying stares but Hinata saw it anyway.

"That's a Cursed Seal isn't it?" Hinata asked.

"Please don't tell the br-Naruto! I don't want him to see this ugly thing on me and think I belong to someone else…" Anko bowed her head as tears threatened to leak from her grey eyes.

"You don't know how lucky you are." Hinata giggled "But we'll tell you all about that soon enough."

"I-I don't understand…." Anko stammered out as Hinata grabbed her hand.

"Don't worry about that dumb old mark. Naruto will love you for who you are, not your past. If he doesn't love you already." Hinata turned and walked them to the door.

"You really think so?" Asked Anko hopefully.

"I know so." Hinata opened the door "So let's go get ourselves an Uzumaki shall we?"

_**With Naruto and the others…**_

"So what did you focus on during your training nii-sama?" Karin inquired from Lee's lap.

"Physical conditioning and chakra control aside, I focused almost entirely on Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu." Naruto rubbed his chin.

"Che! All of those things are useless against my Sharingan." Sasuke boasted with a smirk.

"If you hope to someday meet Itachi-nii, you better not be too overly reliant on your Sharingan Sasuke. Itachi-nii did his entire Jounin Exams without his Sharingan remember?" Naruto reminded.

"With my father and the entire clan pounding that little fact into my head, it was pretty hard not to forget. I only use my Sharingan in moderation Dobe. I hope you're doing the same with your youkai." Sasuke replied offhandedly.

"Of course I am. I only spent two months refining my uses for it. I think you all will be amazed at the things I can do with it." Naruto grinned.

"Um….Naruto?" Lee called out meekly.

"Yeah Lee?"

"Have you learned how to restrain your ummm….urges?"

"Oh….Yeah dude. I've been taught to quell it from a scorching need to a moderately hot want. I'll send a clone to teach you my meditation patterns tonight 'kay bro?"

"Most appreciated."

"Hmph!" Karin puffed her cheeks "I say you leave him as-"

The door suddenly opened to reveal an impassive looking Hinata and a nervous looking Anko. Hinata closed the door and slapped a privacy seal on it before walking up to Naruto. The entire room was completely silent as Lee, Sasuke and Karin watched on to see how the event would unfold.

"Do still love me Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Of course I do Hinata! I will always-" Naruto began frantically.

"Answer all questions succinctly please." Hinata raised a hand to stop him.

"_Oh snap!" _Lee mouthed to Sasuke.

"_I know right?" _Sasuke replied.

"What are your feelings for this woman then?" the Hyuga Princess inquired referring to Anko next to her.

"I…I don't know…" Naruto answered running a hand through his hair "At first, I just felt the need to comfort her. She was like me. Misunderstood and hiding her insecurities behind a mask of waywardness. So I thought that maybe I could just be her friend and never let her be alone like I always was…"

Anko bit her lip and hung her head 'I knew it. He doesn't love me…'

"But then I began spending more and more time with her getting used to her ways and realizing her likes and dislikes….She began to let me in and I began to peel away all her walls...Beneath all those layers was something I never expected to find. A beautiful strong woman who I wanted to protect."

Anko's head shot up 'Naruto...'

"Before I knew it, she started becoming more and more wonderful to be around. I had begun having feelings for her. The thing that surprised me though was that my feelings for you Hinata only skyrocketed. I began to realise how lucky I was to have you in my life and I began to constantly feel guilty. When it was time to come back today, I was ecstatic at the chance to be with you again and I was hoping that any feelings I had for Anko would disappear in time. Funny how things work out huh?" Naruto finished with a mirthless chuckle.

"What am I going to do with you Naruto?" Hinata sighed.

"Trial by fire?" Karin mumbled out before Lee silenced her.

"Please forgive me Hinata. It won't happen again I promise!" Naruto blurted out bowing low.

Hinata pulled him back up "Okay. I'll forgive you under three conditions."

"Okay. Let me hear it." Naruto shrugged.

"Firstly, never EVER leave me again. Wherever you go, I go too, got it?" Hinata pouted.

"Okay I guess. Next."

"From now on, I'm in complete control of your romantic interests. You're not allowed to even glance in another woman's direction unless I give the go-ahead, alright?"

"Of course I won't. What else?"

"Thirdly, I get to have _all _your firsts. That includes fellatio, cunnilingus, paizuri and even frottage. And I definitely get to have your first born."

"_What the fuck is frottage?" _Sasuke whispered to Lee.

"_Beats me." _Lee replied.

"Whoa whoa! How did we reach kids so quickly?" Naruto .

"For your hesitance, you have to give me all your firsts within the next few months."

"But-"

"No buts." Hinata smiled victoriously.

Naruto hung his head and sighed "I was going to have sex with you tonight but since you seem so adamant about waiting…"

"No no no! I meant as soon as possible and-" Hinata tried to retract her words.

"No conjunctions." Naruto grinned victoriously and pecked her on the lips "You dug yourself that trap Hime. I was simply waiting for the right moment which would have probably been tonight but by trying to set a deadline, you condemned yourself to wait. Isn't irony wonderful?"

"Just go kiss Anko already." Hinata sighed tiredly.

Naruto nodded and walked up to Anko with slight apprehension "This is crazy, isn't it?"

"The princess is batshit crazy but I can handle her. It's you I worry about, Naruto." Said Anko nervously.

"That's one of the few times you've called me by my name. What changed?"

Her eyes quickly moved to Hinata who was behind him and back. Naruto noticed the subtle hint almost immediately.

"Yeah Hime can be a little….forward in her affection for me. You'll get used to it in time."

"So umm what do we do now?" Anko whispered with a furious blush.

"Why are you so nervous? You've tempted me endless times back in the forest. I won't bite you or anything…..yet." Naruto grinned showing off his slightly lengthy fangs.

"I was just-"

Naruto, who got tired of waiting, just grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into a searing kiss. He immediately opened his mouth to begin his assault only for her slightly longer than average tongue to dart into his mouth to subdue his. His eyes widened somewhat as she wrapped her slender hands around his neck and pulled him to her. He basked in the warmth of her body as he tasted her thoroughly.

'Dango…not cinnamon buns but definitely tasty nonetheless.'

His lips moved gently with her soft pink ones as they seemed to fit each other perfect. As they released each other, Anko held onto his lower lip with her teeth before releasing it.

"Is it me or is our group becoming too affectionate?" Sasuke sighed to himself.

"Well, maybe you should just get a girlfriend and stop being sixth wheel." Karin mumbled.

"I'm a loner. Women are just a hindrance to my goals." Sasuke scoffed before looking out the window.

"Keep telling yourself that." Karin giggled 'Someday, a woman is going to tame you Sasuke-baka. Just you wait…'

"You belong to me now. Understood?" Naruto smiled and caressed her cheek.

"Okay." Anko sighed tilting her head into the warmth of his palm. (A/N: Some fluff for those fluff lovers.)

"Go sit with Hinata 'kay. I gotta make some announcements." He said lightly slapping her behind as she departed.

"Okay everyone! I just have to…." Naruto trailed off as he looked intently at a corner of the room and sighed "So you followed me even here. Come on out."

At first, nothing happened. Everyone looked in the direction Naruto was looking and waited for something to occur. Then, the shadows in the corner of the room bubbled upwards and began to take a humanoid shape. Everyone in the room reached for the respective weapons before Naruto wordlessly raised a hand to stop them. The shadows began to melt of the shape as the person stood up to reveal none other than the legendary ANBU Dragon.

"What?! How did he get past my special privacy seal?" Karin exclaimed.

"Dragon is on an entirely different level Karin. His stealth transcends any seal you could create. No offense of course." Naruto said eyes not leaving Dragon "But all I want to know is why you're here Dragon."

"Why are we even talking to him? We already know where his loyalties lie." Sasuke said hands already on his trench knives.

"No you don't. Dragon wasn't sent to spy on me by order of the Hokage. It's his own self-imposed mission. Boy, do I feel special." Naruto explained.

"I find it impressive that you were able to detect my presence Naruto." Complimented the emotionless ANBU.

"Yeah. How did you manage to sense him when I wasn't able to? I'm the sensor after all." Karin inquired.

"Your sensory abilities are limited to chakra. Dragon's chakra signature is unlike any human you will even see. Like a ghost, it flows just out of your range of sensory. My ability to sense Dragon is based rather on spiritual energy rather that the mixture of spiritual and physical energy that makes up chakra. I can _feel_ his soul but even then he's difficult to detect as even his spiritual presence is veiled in an almost imperceptible darkness."

"How can someone hide their soul? And better yet, how can you sense spiritual energy?" asked Sasuke feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Trade secret Teme." Naruto smiled before turning back to Dragon "I know you aren't human Dragon so just tell what you are. Please?"

"Trade secret." Dragon repeated impassively, the eye holes in his mask revealing nothing of any humour he may have found in his own joke.

"Anyway, can I trust you with what we're about to discuss?" Naruto asked.

"No." Dragon replied immediately.

"Fine. Have a seat then." Naruto offered.

"But he just said we couldn't trust him!" Sasuke growled.

"Sometimes, it's okay to have a little blind faith Sasuke. It usually pays off in the end." Naruto smiled.

"And if it doesn't?" Lee questioned.

"Lee, Dragon knows everything about everyone in our little group here. If he was gonna tell Sarutobi, he already would have. Even if he did, I have nothing to fear from Hiruzen." Naruto assured him.

"You amaze me Namikaze…." Dragon mumbled before having a seat between Anko and Sasuke with both of them giving him their best glares.

"Anyway, after a year of training, I'm sure you all are a lot stronger than you were. I hope you all put the Shadow Clone jutsu to the best possible use and optimized all of your unique abilities. I know I did. I know some of you are itching for a chance to show off what you've learned but we must still lay low. With Danzo's agents still lurking to recruit us, mainly me and Sasuke, there's no telling the kinds of things he's willing to try. We are within enemy grounds and I expect you all to be EXTREMELY careful with the way you use your skills despite whatever team you find yourself assigned to. I'll pause for questions at this point."

"I got one Dobe." Sasuke raised his hand.

"Let's hear it."

"You said that you'd tell us why you're creating a team last year if I remember correctly."

"I did, didn't I?" Naruto grinned scratching behind his head "Well, I decided a long time ago even before my transformation that I would live for myself and do what I want. All I wanted was freedom from this cursed village. But then I got with Hinata and Sasuke and realised that my vision was selfish and that there were other people who lived lives as difficult as my own. Hinata was kept as a trophy in a dying clan and Sasuke was being kept under the toes of the village that killed his clan even if it _might _have been justified. As time went on, I met Lee who was condemned because of his inability to use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu and even Karin who was a slave to a man obsessed with immortality. It was then I realised what a horrible place this world is. How diseased it is…."

He trailed off with a far way look in his eyes before looking at each person in the room "I don't want to be some monk that travels the world collecting strays but I want to do something with this power, you know? So I decided that I would create a team of my closest friends that would help me with my ambitions. We become strong, leave Konoha and travel the world. We'll be free without restraints and just doing what we feel is right. We won't be any village's weapons or pawns…We'll be our own bosses. As a side mission, I'll want to see how the other jinchurikis are treated and hopefully recruit them into our group. We'll reintroduce this world to concepts long since lost. Honesty and Nobility. We won't tolerate corruption and we'll definitely do some good. I'm not gonna beg any of you to join me and if you do join me, I'm gonna take all of your personal ambitions into consideration. So….anybody up for it?"

There was a silence before Sasuke spoke up "I never took you for someone who cared for all that "World Peace" bullshit. I agree with you when you said the world is diseased. The Elemental Nations value deception above honesty which is seriously fucked up. That much is painfully clear. What I really want to know is if you honestly believe you can change this world? I'm sure that lots of people before you tried and failed. No offence Dobe but what makes you so special?"

"The answer to that question would change your perception of the world…" Dragon suddenly said.

"What does that even mean?" Asked Karin.

"**If you're trying to change the kid's mind, you're better off trying to convince a rock to sprout legs and run."**

"Who said that?" Hinata looked around.

"**That would be me." **A voice announced from Naruto's jacket. A dark orange blur shot from said jacket and landed on the floor in front of them.

"Kawaii! What a cute little fox." Hinata squealed.

"**I am the Demon Lord Kyuubi and you will address me as such, mortal!" **the fox demanded as it grew to its regular size.

"Nii-sama, what did you do?" Inquired Karin cautiously.

"I just gave Kurama some more freedom so he won't feel so cooped up in my mindscape. He may be a demon lord but he's still a fox and no animal deserves to be cooped up." Naruto explained.

"Are you sure he can be trusted?" Sasuke inquired.

"**I would ask the same of you Uchiha. What makes you so dependable?" **Kurama quipped.

"I'm a lot more dependable than a sinister demon fox." Sasuke defended.

"**Watch your tongue mortal!" **Kurama growled.

"What the fuck…" Anko trailed off with fright.

"Can we just cool it for a sec and answer Naruto's question?" Hinata said as Kurama jumped into her lap.

"If you honestly believe you can do all that "Save the World" stuff, I'll join you. You're my brother after all. As long as I get to meet Itachi at some point in time, I'll follow you as your Ninjutsu specialist. Just don't get in my way." Sasuke sighed before looking through the window.

Hinata smiled gently at him "You are my everything. I'm already your woman. I might as well be your markswoman. Of course I'll join you."

Karin fixed her glasses "I didn't spend all that time training with Gouro-sensei to leave you high and dry. You're the only reason I'm as strong as I am now. I'll be your medic."

Lee did the nice guy pose "You gave me the ability to use chakra, a home and allowed me to train with your private techniques. I am forever indebted to you Naruto! Thank you for allowing me the chance to become your Taijutsu specialist!"

Naruto nodded "Thank you all for this. I promise I won't let you down."

"What…about me?" Anko whispered with a hurt expression.

Naruto went over to her and sat down. Grasping her hand in his own, he kissed her cheek "You can't join us Anko-chan….yet. We are all new ninjas so certain things will be expected of us. But you are seasoned Tokubetsu Jounin. You will be expected to follow every order to the letter and if you don't, you can be executed or imprisoned. I'll go berserk if something like that happens. But there is something you can do for me."

"Anything." Anko pleaded.

"I'll need you to be my eyes and ears within Konoha's forces. Report any orders or happenings that might pertain to the five of us via snake summoning. And keep an eye out for Danzo's shadows. Protect us from the shadows. But most importantly, _don't _get caught."

"Okay." Anko nodded.

"But first, I need to tell you all that I can about what we know, what/who I am and most importantly what's coming to Konoha. But first, do you trust me?" Naruto conveyed to her with a serious expression.

_ Bad ending I know but necessary if I want the events of the next chapter to flow the way I want them to. Anyway, I want you all to know that I fixed chapters 1-5 and that you should read the story over to catch the gist of the changes I made because there _are _changes in it. That I can guarantee.

Review if you all think it's improved.

OKC out!


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